Panthers Seek More Offensive Weapons for QB Bryce Young

GM Dan Morgan aims to surround young QB with more playmakers in upcoming draft.

Apr. 16, 2026 at 6:57pm

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A fragmented, cubist-style painting depicting a Carolina Panthers football game, with the players and field broken down into sharp, overlapping geometric shapes in the team's colors, conveying the dynamic energy and strategic complexity of the sport.The Panthers' offseason focus on building an elite supporting cast for young QB Bryce Young is reflected in the team's aggressive draft strategy.Charlotte Today

The Carolina Panthers are expected to focus on adding more offensive playmakers in the upcoming NFL draft to help support quarterback Bryce Young, who the team selected with the first overall pick in 2025. General manager Dan Morgan has prioritized building a strong supporting cast around the young QB over the past two drafts.

Why it matters

The Panthers are banking on Young to be their franchise quarterback of the future, so providing him with a talented group of receivers, running backs, and tight ends will be crucial to his development and the team's success. Surrounding a young QB with the right offensive weapons is a common strategy for teams looking to build a contender.

The details

Over the past two NFL drafts, the Panthers have used high picks to add wide receivers and running backs to complement Young. In 2025, they selected wide receiver Jordan Addison in the first round and running back Jahmyr Gibbs in the second. Last year, they added tight end Michael Mayer in the first round. Now, with the 8th overall pick in 2026, the team is expected to continue targeting offensive playmakers to give Young as many weapons as possible.

  • The Panthers selected Bryce Young with the 1st overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
  • In the 2025 NFL Draft, the Panthers added WR Jordan Addison and RB Jahmyr Gibbs to support Young.
  • In the 2026 NFL Draft, the Panthers hold the 8th overall pick and are expected to target more offensive playmakers.

The players

Dan Morgan

The general manager of the Carolina Panthers, who has prioritized building an offense around young QB Bryce Young.

Bryce Young

The Carolina Panthers' starting quarterback, whom the team selected with the 1st overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Jordan Addison

A wide receiver the Panthers selected in the 1st round of the 2025 NFL Draft to be a playmaker for Bryce Young.

Jahmyr Gibbs

A running back the Panthers selected in the 2nd round of the 2025 NFL Draft to be a playmaker for Bryce Young.

Michael Mayer

A tight end the Panthers selected in the 1st round of the 2026 NFL Draft to be a playmaker for Bryce Young.

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What’s next

The Panthers will look to add more offensive weapons for Bryce Young with the 8th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

The takeaway

The Panthers are committed to surrounding their young franchise quarterback Bryce Young with as much offensive talent as possible through the draft, a common strategy for teams looking to build a contender around a promising young QB.