The Panthers visited with some of the top wide receiver prospects in this year’s draft class and those meetings have led to questions about whether they will actually use a first-round pick on a wideout for the third straight season.
Panthers General Manager Dan Morgan fielded that exact query at a Tuesday press conference. Morgan took Xavier Legette in 2024 and offensive rookie of the year Tetairoa McMillan was last year’s top pick, but Morgan said that their presence isn’t going to keep Carolina from tripling down if the board falls that way at No. 19.
“No. I think with anything, we’re going to take the best player,” Morgan said, via the team’s website. “So if the best player we feel is that at 19, I wouldn’t hesitate to draft another wideout. I don’t think there’s a rule that says you can’t draft a wide receiver three years in a row. So I’m not really going to box us in and say we’re not going to draft him.”
Morgan is correct about the lack of a rule prohibiting the use of three straight first-round picks on receivers. The Lions did it with Charles Rogers, Roy Williams and Mike Williams from 2003-2005 and went 16-32 over those seasons. They then went back to the well in 2007 to take Calvin Johnson in a move that worked out far better than the previous three choices.
The Lions’ history is unlikely to have much bearing on Morgan’s ultimate decision, especially if there’s a player available that the Panthers believe will help quarterback Bryce Young continue to ascend in his third season.
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