One of the keys in NFL roster building is nailing second round picks.
Players drafted between No. 33 and No. 64 offer some of the best opportunities for teams to fill their rosters with guys who significantly outperform their cap hits. Former college stars taken in the second round are often still the third or fourth best players at their position after superstars are selected in the first round. The annual average salary for 2026 second round picks will average somewhere between $2.0 million and $3.3 million over the next four years. That’s chump change in a league with a $301 million salary cap.
Unfortunately, the Carolina Panthers haven’t been able to benefit from the cost-to-talent ratio of second round picks for a number of years now.
But as the Panthers look forward to the upcoming 2026 season, this could be the year all of that changes.
Rookie defensive tackle Lee Hunter could get a lot of reps in his first professional season. Last year’s second round pick, defensive end Nic Scourton could make the “sophomore leap”, while 2024 second rounder Jonathon Brooks could finally be healthy entering his third NFL season.
Getting contributions from these three players alone in 2026 could significantly accelerate the Panthers rebuild.
The Panthers second round draft history
Reasonable expectations for second round picks is they will play meaningful snaps as rookies then develop into capable, reliable starters by the end of their rookie contract.
Over the course of the Panthers draft history, there have been some absolute home runs in Round 2.
A handful of Carolina second round picks developed into Pro Bowlers, including wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad (1996), defensive end Mike Rucker (1999), defensive tackles Kris Jenkins (2001) and Kawann Short (2013), center Ryan Kalil (2007), cornerback James Bradberry (2016).
Other stalwarts include linebacker Mike Minter (1997), defensive back Deon Grant (2000), running back DeShaun Foster (2002), DB Richard Marshall (2006), tackle Taylor Moton (2017), and cornerback Donte Jackson (2018).
If you look at the dates of the Pro Bowlers and “stalwarts”, you’ll notice they peter out in 2018.
Starting in 2019 the Panthers went on a run of second round picks that didn’t pan out, or quickly got out of Carolina as soon as their contracts allowed.
In 2019 the Panthers traded up 10 spots in the second round (lighting their third round pick on fire) for tackle Greg Little. His NFL career lasted just 31 games.
In 2020 the team had two second round picks and went with defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos and safety Jeremy Chinn. YGM left Carolina for the San Francisco 49ers at the end of his rookie contract in 2024 and has developed into a serviceable rotational player with 17 sacks in 74 career games. Jeremy Chinn’s situation still stings, though. As a rookie he registered 117 tackles and finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting, then followed that up in 2021 with 107 more tackles. But then two years of coaching changes and questions about “scheme fit” emerged, his role was reduced, and he left Carolina as a free agent in 2024. Over the last two seasons he’s racked up 231 tackles for the Commanders and Raiders.
In 2021 the Panthers swung and missed on second round wide receiver Terrace Marshall Jr. who has 67 receptions for 808 yards in his career. After not having a second rounder in 2022, the Panthers whiffed in 2023 on another wide receiver, Jonathan Mingo, who has 61 receptions for 610 yards in his NFL tenure.
Carolina’s second round picks from 2019-2023 didn’t pay any long-term dividends.
That could change this year.
Three second round picks who could break out in 2026
If all goes well, 2026 could be the year the tides turn for the Panthers unlocking the value of their second round picks.
In 2024 the team somewhat controversially took Texas running back Jonathon Brooks in the second round, despite the fact he was coming off a college ACL tear. After being medically cleared to play he logged a total of nine carries over three games in his rookie campaign before re-tearing the same ACL. He missed the entire 2025 season but reports indicate he’s healthy and ready to go.
A healthy, productive Jonathon Brooks toting the rock would be a massive win for the Panthers. Time will only tell if he’ll ever fully recover from his knee injuries, but if he turns in a solid season this year, that’s gravy for the Panthers.
In 2025 the Panthers drafted defensive end Nic Scourton and he turned in a promising rookie season last year. In 17 games he produced 47 tackles, five sacks, seven tackles for loss, and 15 pressures. His five sacks tied for the most on the team, revealing just how toothless the Panthers pass rush was last year. With a full season under his belt and a better front seven around him when compared to a year ago, Scourton could make the “sophomore leap” this year.
In this year’s draft Carolina selected defensive tackle Lee Hunter in the second round. Here at CSR we’re penciling him in as a starter for now, but whether he ultimately starts or not he should be on the field a lot this year. The presences of Derrick Brown next to him and free agent linebacker Devin Lloyd behind him should give Hunter at least some opportunities to make plays.
Now, all three of these guy could have disappointing 2026 seasons. It’s possible Brooks never re-gains his pre-injury form. Maybe Nic Scourton is what he is as a good-but-not-great edge rusher. It’s more than possible that rookie Lee Hunter struggles to adjust to the size and speed of the NFL and underwhelms.
But it’s also possible all three of them contribute in significant ways in 2026.
The combined cap hit for the trio of young players is just about $6.3 million this year between Brooks ($2.3M), Scourton ($2.0M), and Hunter (estimate to be around $2.0M). That represents about two percent of the NFL’s $301 million salary cap. They are all under contract next year, too.
Getting solid play from Carolina’s three most recent second round picks could pay huge dividends this year while potentially freeing up millions of dollars in cap space to be spent elsewhere in 2027.
