Dave Canales gets 100% real about Panthers’ plan for No. 8 NFL draft pick
Dave Canales tips the Panthers hand at pick No. 8.
With the 2025 NFL Draft rapidly approaching, fans of the Carolina Panthers have been vigorously debating what position their beloved franchise should target with the eighth overall pick.
Will the team look to add a cornerstone piece to their defensive front? A new defensive back alongside paid cornerback Jaycee Horn? Or will they attack the offensive side of the ball, where almost every position could be upgraded with the right blue chipper?
Well, at the NFL meetings in Palm Beach, head coach Dave Canales weighed in on that very situation, letting fans know that while selecting the best player available is obviously everyone’s goal, adding a defensive player to their league-worst unit should be prioritized, too.
“To be in this position, in my mind, when you have an opportunity to pick in the top 10 of the draft, we’re doing all the work on making sure we identify the best available player. We’ve had some great conversations about some offensive playmakers in this class, some defensive playmakers—and we’ve come away with saying, ‘Ok, look, we are going to get a great player. Let’s make sure we have the right guy, the right fit. Somebody that we want to be a Panther for a long time.’ So that’s really where our conversations are,” Canales said via Panthers Wire.
