2024 NFL mock draft: Carolina Panthers select Payton Wilson

The second round of the Pride of Detroit Community Mock is underway! And while most of the second round will just involve announcing all of the picks leading up to the Detroit Lions’ 61st overall selection in one big heap, we decided to make a rare exception for Pick 33. The Carolina Panthers hold the 33rd selection, and because they foolishly traded their first-round pick to the Chicago Bears last year, this will be their first pick in the POD Community Mock.

So commenter zach kadolph, who is representing the Panthers in this Community Mock, offered to give a write-up for his pick. If you want to see all of the picks in the first round, check out our 2024 POD Community Mock Draft tracker.

Now, with the 33rd pick in the Pride of Detroit Community Mock Draft, the Carolina Panthers have selected Payton Wilson, linebacker out of NC State.

Here’s zach kadolph with the explanation for the pick:

“Including interim coaches, Dave Canales will be the sixth coach to lead the team since Ron Rivera. As a result, the Panthers roster is filled with needs up and down the roster. One of their biggest issues in 2023 was protecting their young quarterback, so getting some help up front has been of the utmost priority this offseason. Bryce Young could also use some weapons. However, with seven offensive tackles and six wide receivers already off the board, the Panthers go BPA and select: Payton Wilson, LB, NC State.

“This move has nothing to do with keeping the Hillsborough, NC product in his home state and everything to do with how he dominated on the gridiron. He was the winner of both the Butkus Award as the nation’s best linebacker and the ACC Defensive Player of the Year. His stats back up his play, as he led the ACC in tackles for loss with 17.5 and also notched six sacks, 10 pass breakups, and three interceptions.

In today’s NFL, it’s not enough to be able to stop the run but you must also cover, and that’s an area he excels. With 4.43 speed, he was second in the nation with a 90.4 PFF coverage grade. It doesn’t hurt when your mentor is Luke Kuechly. Injury history and age push him down the board, but a player of this caliber doesn’t make it out of the first round without these issues. He should push Josey Jewell for snaps in year one before ultimately taking over as the leader of the defense when Shaq Thompson hangs em up.