How Did the Panthers Rookie Class Grade Out This Year?
The 2025 Panthers rookie class is one of the best in franchise history. Led by Offensive Rookie of the Year front-runner Tetairoa McMillan, the 2025 draft class has seen action across the board. It is rare for a team to have a draft in which multiple rookies see action in their first year. Today, I’ll break down the Panthers draft round by round and analyze the impact each rookie had.
Round One
I won’t spend too much time here, as I’m sure everyone has heard of the rookie phenom TMac by now. The Panthers' offense had been awful since they committed to the rebuild. With a young, developing quarterback, they needed an offensive weapon more than ever. With the eighth overall pick, they selected their franchise receiver. TMac has been everything the Panthers needed out of a top wide receiver. He ends his rookie season with 70 receptions for 1,014 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. He also set a franchise record as the first rookie receiver in Panthers history to eclipse 1,000 receiving yards.
Round Two
The Panthers got active in the second round, trading up to pick 51 from the Broncos. The Panthers spent the offseason bolstering their historically bad defense and continued the trend by picking Nic Scourton out of Texas A&M. Scourton had a slow start as he adjusted to the NFL and the Panthers' defensive scheme. In Week Seven, Scourton earned a starting role, where he was the starter to end the season. The former Aggie ended his rookie season with five sacks, 47 tackles, and 31 quarterback pressures. Primarily playing in the pass rush with a 86% blitz rate. He does leave some to be desired in coverage, but he shouldn’t see too much play in coverage. Scourton has found his way and is poised to be a featured player in the defense moving forward.
Round Three
In the third round, the Panthers continued their commitment to the defense, picking up another young edge rusher in Princely Umanmielen. Umanmielen has had a much slower start than Scourton, but still had plenty of playing time. Not notching a start this season, he finished with 20 tackles, one and a half sacks, and eight quarterback pressures. Umanmielen is still young and still needs time to develop in the NFL. He should develop into a starting edge rusher, where he played 131 of his 213 snaps. The Panthers clearly want to improve their pass rush and should continue to do so in the offseason. Umanmielen will be a part of that plan.
Round Four
The Panthers had two picks here, and both found ways to contribute. First, they grabbed Georgia running back Trevor Etienne. The Panthers' running back room has been above average with some good weapons that can move the ball. Etienne still has to work his way into snaps at running back, but he has shown potential. He spent most of the year as a returner, where he showcased his speed, but he also revealed some of his flaws. One of the biggest was in the Panthers' playoff game, where he muffed a catch, leading to a special teams turnover. The Panthers have some decisions to make in their running back room, so the door is open for Etienne to carve out a role.
The second pick of the fourth round was Lathan Ransom out of Ohio State. Ransom found himself as a contributor, playing 16 games and starting in six. Ransom is beginning to look like a draft steal, as he has played a major role on defense as the season has gone on. The former Buckeye finished the season with 44 tackles, a sack, an interception, and allowed only seven receptions on 12 targets for 144 yards and no touchdowns. Ransom is still a rookie, as we saw when Saints quarterback Tyler Shough baited Ransom into tackling him after he slid. Despite the slip-up, Ransom is clearly a piece for the future and will remain a major contributor moving forward.
Round Five
The Panthers had another two picks here. The Panthers picked up defensive tackle Cam Jackson here in the fifth round. Jackson has had a quiet rookie season, only playing in nine games. In those nine games, he has had some decent production for a rookie. Ending the season with nine tackles and three quarterback pressures. At the end of the day, Jackson is a fifth-round pick, so if he can develop into a solid depth piece for the Panthers, that would be a huge win.
To round out the fifth round, the Panthers selected tight end Mitchell Evans out of Notre Dame. Due to an injury in the tight end room, Evans found himself as an immediate contributor to the offense. Playing in all 17 games and starting in 10. Despite finding consistent play, Evans had an underwhelming season. He finished the season with 19 receptions for 171 yards and two touchdowns. Again, he is a fifth-round pick, so if he develops into a quality depth piece, that will be a win. Depending on what the Panthers do in the offseason, Evans should find more play in year two.
Round Six
The final pick of the Panthers' draft was receiver Jimmy Horn out of Colorado. Horn had a lackluster college career, but the Panthers were willing to bet on his potential as a late-round dart throw. Horn started the season as a healthy scratch before playing in 13 games, including the Panthers’ playoff game. Horn finished the season with 11 receptions for 108 yards. He eventually found himself eating into former first-round pick Xavier Legette’s snaps. Unfortunately, Horn had a big drop in the playoff game, but he’s a rookie, so he gets some grace. It’s hard to say what Horn’s role will be moving forward. His fate hinges on the Panthers' offseason and who they bring in. I believe that Dave Canales has a role in mind for Horn, and we should see him getting more chances in year two.
Conclusion
The 2025 draft class had an immediate impact on the Panthers. Most teams hope one or two players from their draft will have an impact. For the Panthers to get production out of every round is a testament to general manager Dan Morgan and Dave Canales. As the 2026 draft draws near, I can’t help but be excited for hopefully another stacked draft.
