Carolina Panthers general manager Dan Morgan received rave reviews for his picks in the 2025 NFL Draft, and that group went on to make a big impact on the team's first-place finish. He has also garnered some strong grades for his 2026 selections, even before the first real snap of the season has been taken.
But the same hasn't been said about Morgan's first class.
According to Joe Person at The Athletic, time may be running out for the 2024 bunch—as he writes in his latest offering about Carolina's outlook:
I think the clock is ticking on the 2024 draft class, Morgan’s first as general manager. Xavier Legette is having a good camp, but has already been passed by Jalen Coker on the depth chart and was in danger of losing ground to [Chris] Brazzell before the rookie’s LCL injury. [Jonathon] Brooks has looked explosive, especially as a pass catcher, but enters the season as one of the team’s biggest unknowns... Seventh-round pick Michael Barrett, the Michigan linebacker who was traded to Seattle for Mike Jackson two summers ago, is responsible for the biggest return on investment.
What little hope there is for this class lies on the shoulders of Brooks, who's about to see his first in-game action since he tore his ACL in the middle of the 2024 campaign. If Brooks can get back to the level he was playing at Texas, the Panthers will at least wring something out of this tattered rag.
Right now, however, it's difficult to argue that this class is anything but a total failure. Legette is still trying to find his footing, Brooks has played in just three games, third-rounder Trevin Wallace is in danger of losing his starting job at inside linebacker and fourth-rounder Ja'Tavion Sanders may—with the addition of free agent Darren Waller—be the No. 4 option in the tight end room.
Perhaps the greatest value of the class might be the lessons that Morgan and his front office take away from their misses.
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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Reporter says 'clock is ticking' on Panthers' 2024 draft class