The Carolina Panthers found out the hard way this past season what life is like without Derrick Brown plugging things up in the middle of their defensive line. Brown suffered a knee injury in the season opener and had to sit out the rest of the year. With their superstar on the sidelines, Carolina’s defense got gashed in the ground game over and over and over again. By the end, they had allowed more rushing yards than any NFL team and more points than any team in history.
That’s why defensive tackle is probably the number one item on the team’s offseason to-do list. They’ll want somebody they can pair with Derrick Brown to help stop the run and avoid a total disaster if he were to get injured again. Their best hope is Michigan’s Mason Graham, who’s the number one interior defensive line prospect in the 2025 NFL draft class.
Problem is the Panthers might be just out of range to get Graham, who’s expected to be a top five pick. It’s always possible he will slip to 8th, but to make sure they get the best DT they possibly can it might be worth moving up a few spots. In a new mock draft from Lou Scataglia at NFL Spin Zone that’s what they do, trading up with the New England Patriots to the fourth pick for Graham.
NFL Spin Zone on Panthers trading up
“Trade! The Carolina Panthers trade up several spots with the New England Patriots to take Mason Graham, the defensive tackle from Michigan. The Panthers try to strengthen the middle of their defense and perhaps also add a pass rush element to their defense, which is absolutely something they are missing.”
Mason Graham 2024 highlights
Graham (6-foot-3, 320 pounds) has been one of the nation’s top defensive linemen for the last two years, earning elite grades from Pro Football Focus for those years. He earned a 91.1 overall grade for the 2024 season, which ranked him first at his position. His 92.6 run defense grade was also the best in the nation.
All together Graham put up nine sacks and 18 tackles for a loss during his time at Michigan, but traditional stats aren’t what you’re looking for in defensive tackles. What matters is that Graham would give Carolina a blue chip piece at the position they are most vulnerable at, potentially turning their greatest weakness into a roster strength.
If they don’t feel like trading up for Graham, another possibility worth considering is targeting his teammate, Kenneth Grant– who’s also one of the top DTs in this class. Taking him at 8th overall might be a reach, but if they were to trade down into the teens and target him there it would also give them more ammunition to fill out the rest of their roster holes.