No, the Carolina Panthers will not have possession of the No. 1 overall pick of the NFL draft for the third straight year. But they can get awfully close to it! The final bout of jockeying for draft position,

The Panthers, sitting at 4-11, are projected to have the No. 7 pick in the upcoming draft. Who might they take?

Carolina selected Smith-Wade in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL draft. The Washington State University standout went on to appear in 14 games, recording 39 total tackles, one interception and one forced fumble. Smith-Wade had recently taken over as the defense’s primary nickel defender, getting starting nods in each of the past three outings.