Panthers are making sure they cover their bases in search of a big-bodied target for QB Bryce Young to add in the 2026 NFL Draft
The Carolina Panthers are doing plenty of homework on the incoming tight end class.
The Carolina Panthers made waves in free agency adding in some of the top options on the market including pass rusher Jaelan Phillips, linebacker Devin Lloyd, and offensive tackle Rasheed Walker.
It was a masterclass performance from general manager Dan Morgan and his ability to attack needs in free agency opens up the board in a big way next month with the 19th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. One position Morgan failed to address, however, was finding a big-bodied target over the middle for quarterback Bryce Young.
Currently, the Panthers have a tight end group featuring Tommy Tremble, Mitchell Evans, Ja’Tavion Sanders, and Feleipe Franks. For Young’s sake, the Panthers need to find a real threat at the position and the team has been eyeing some potential options in the draft.
As things stand now less than a month until the draft, Kenyon Sadiq out of Oregon is the only tight end expected to fall in the first-round of the draft with plenty of suitors in the teens and early 20’s. If he’s on the board, he’s someone the Panthers could consider.
The problem with Sadiq is that he’s more of a receiving threat than a true tight end. Sadiq is a freak as a pass catcher but he’s adequate at best when it comes to blocking. Receiving tight ends have gone crazy high the last few years in the draft, so don’t be shocked when his name is called. While he’s routinely mocked to the Panthers, Carolina has yet to meet with him, perhaps there’s a reason for that, and it explains why the Panthers are meeting with other tight end prospects.
Panthers are doing their homework on top TE prospects not named Kenyon Sadiq
According to Tony Pauline, the Panthers met with Oscar Delp out of Georgia, a name that’s starting to generate more buzz the closer we get to the draft. By no means is Delp similar to Brock Bowers, the previous tight end out of Georgia, but he offers strong value as a receiver with the toughness to be a three-down player for an offense.
Delp showed off his athleticism at the Georgia Pro Day and reportedly ran a 4.48 40-yard-dash that would have ranked second among TEs at the NFL Combine. He’s very much starting to become viable option in the third/fourth-round for the Panthers.
Delp isn’t the only tight end the Panthers are making sure to meet with. According to Jordan Schultz, Carolina also plans to meet with Dae’Quan Wright out of Ole Miss.
Wright has the tools to be a effective as a receiver and a run blocker with more development, which lines up with the current state of the Panthers’ tight end position. According to Pro Football Focus, Wright led all tight ends in the FBS with 394 yards after catch while having five touchdowns. Like Delp, Wright had a strong Pro Day but he is still considered a Day 3 option.
Interest in these two tight end prospects who will be available later in the draft signal the Panthers could be willing to wait out the position and potentially pass on a option like Sadiq in the first-round. Time will tell, but the Panthers are certainly covering their bases.
Carolina Panthers News
Dan Morgan’s comments hint the Panthers could continue adding to a key position in the 2026 NFL Draft despite recent moves made in free agency
The Carolina Panthers might not be done adding to the quarterback room.
