Carolina Panthers’ Day 3 NFL Draft live tracker: Linebacker rounds out 2026 class
The Carolina Panthers have drafted three players in this year’s NFL Draft.
Their first-rounder, Monroe Freeling, is someone they hope to be a game-changing offensive tackle. Their second-rounder, Lee Hunter, was a game-changer at Texas Tech. And their third-rounder, Chris Brazzell II, was among the fastest wide receivers in the draft and among head coach Dave Canales’s “favorite” prospects this year.
What does that mean for Day 3, which encompasses Rounds 4-7?
Stay up-to-date on the draft at this live tracker, where Charlotte Observer reporters Alex Zietlow and Mike Kaye will be breaking down all the trades, selections and other Panthers-related happenings in Day 3 of the draft.
Day 3 of the draft begins at noon and runs all day Saturday. Fans can watch it on ABC, NFL Network and ESPN.
Linebacker wraps up the 2026 NFL Draft class
The Panthers’ seventh and final selection was made with the 227th overall pick.
Carolina took Miami (Ohio) linebacker Jackson Kuwatch with their last pick of 2026. He will join a depth chart that already features Devin Lloyd, Trevin Wallace, Claudin Cherelus and Bam Martin-Scott.
The 6-foot-4, 232-pound linebacker had a four-year college career split between Ohio State and Miami (OH). Last season, he produced 109 tackles (10 for loss) and five sacks.
Instead of waiting for Kuwatch to hit undrafted free agency, the Panthers took a flier on the young defender. He is likely to be an immediate contributor on special teams. He will also compete with Cherelus and Martin-Scott in training camp for a backup job.
The Panthers will now look to fill at least nine roster spots following the completion of the draft.
With the 151st pick, the Panthers take safety Zakee Wheatley
There was always the underlying possibility that the Panthers would take a safety in the first round. Dillon Thienemen, in fact, was on the board when the Panthers took offensive tackle Monroe Freeling at No. 19.
But they added to the position two days later — in fifth-round selection (No. 151 overall) Zakee Wheatley.
The 6-foot-3, 203-pound safety out of Penn State impressed scouts with his length and tackle radius in the pre-draft process. In 2025, he was an honorable mention All-Big Ten. He finished his senior season at Penn State with 51 tackles, two TFLs, one interception and one pass deflection, according to College Sports Reference.
Wheatley now joins a room with the versatile Tre’Von Moehrig, second-year tone-setter Lathan Ransom and Nick Scott, who re-signed to the Panthers on a one-year deal in March (and who is former Penn State star as well). Wheatley considers his main attribute as his versatility; he said he was open to playing anywhere on the field, including nickel corner, dime linebacker and high safety.
His job now is to find a way to complement Moehrig and Scott — and live up to the steal the Panthers think they got him for. After all, he was widely considered a Day 2 projection before draft weekend.
Dan Morgan continues wheeling and dealing
Another trade: Panthers general manager Dan Morgan has traded up with the Miami Dolphins to obtain the No. 151 pick — another fifth-round selection. The rest of their picks are now at No. 151 and a seventh-round pick, No. 227.
Carolina Panthers select their center
The Panthers used pick No. 144 to get who might just be their center for the long haul.
Carolina general manager Dan Morgan used one of his two fifth-round picks on Sam Hecht, the 6-foot-4, 303-pound center out of Kansas State. Hecht finished 2025 as a first-team All-Big 12 player and started all 12 games at center for the team. In 2025, Pro Football Focus awarded Hecht with an 80.3 overall grade (4th among all FBS centers) and a 77.7 run-blocking grade (10th).
Hecht now will compete for the starting spot with newly acquired center Luke Fortner, who signed a one-year deal with the team in March out of free agency.
The Panthers have now spent two of their five draft picks so far on offensive linemen. The first was offensive tackle Monroe Freeling, who the team took in the first round at pick No. 19.
With the 129th overall pick...
After a pair of trades, the Panthers finally used a fourth-round pick on Saturday.
With quite a few notable names left on the board, Carolina took Texas A&M cornerback Will Lee III with the team’s first pick (129th overall) of Day 3. Lee will join a position room that already features Jaycee Horn, Mike Jackson, Chau Smith-Wade, Corey Thornton and Akayleb Evans.
The 6-foot-1, 189-pound cornerback bounced from Iowa Western Community College to Kansas State to Texas A&M during his college career. During his two-year stint with the Aggies, Lee produced 92 tackles (2.5 for loss), a sack, 18 pass breakups and two interceptions.
Lee, a St. Louis, Missouri, native, will compete with Smith-Wade, Thornton and Evans for a depth role in training camp. Lee has the size and length the Panthers covet in the secondary. He also ran a 4.52-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
Lee could eventually be developed into a starter with Jackson set to become a free agent in 2027.
Panthers make two fourth-round trades
Carolina decided to wheel and deal in the fourth round on Saturday.
The Panthers were set to select 119th overall. But instead of making that that pick, the team made a trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Carolina sent the 119th and 196th overall picks to Jacksonville for the 124th and 166th overall picks. The Panthers moved up 30 spots later in the draft in the swap. They moved back just five spots in the fourth for that agreement.
The Jaguars used the 119th overall pick to take Duke defensive end Wesley Williams.
Following the trade with Jacksonville, Carolina traded the 124th and 166th overall picks to the Chicago Bears for the 129th overall and 144th overall picks. The Panthers moved up 22 picks in the fifth round by moving back five in the fourth.
The Bears used No. 124 on Texas cornerback Malik Muhammad.
The Panthers previously swapped a fifth-round pick for a sixth-round pick with the Minnesota Vikings to climb up two spots in the second round for Lee Hunter. The Jacksonville trade essentially brought the Panthers back to their pre-draft inventory of two fifth-round picks and one sixth-round pick. The Chicago trade enhanced to the pick inventory.
How many picks do the Panthers have left in 2026 NFL Draft?
- No. 19 (Round 1): Monroe Freeling, Georgia, offensive tackle
- No. 49 (Round 2): Lee Hunter, Texas Tech, defensive tackle
- No. 83 (Round 3): Chris Brazzell II, Tennessee, wide receiver
- No. 129 (Round 4 — from Bears): Will Lee III, Texas A&M, cornerback
- No. 144 (Round 5 — from Bears): Sam Hecht, Kansas State, center
- No. 151 (Round 5 — from Miami): Zakee Wheatley, Penn State, safety
- No. 227 (Round 7 — from Miami)
More on who the Carolina Panthers have already selected
- Read up on what Monroe Freeling can bring to the team as a football player — as well as how he became the man he is.
- Check out how defensive tackle Lee Hunter fits into the defensive line here.
- Chris Brazzell II might just be the speedy receiver the Panthers need.
Remaining needs for the Carolina Panthers
- Tight end
- Linebacker
This story was originally published April 25, 2026 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Carolina Panthers’ Day 3 NFL Draft live tracker: Linebacker rounds out 2026 class."
