Jackson joins Derrick Brown, A’Shawn Robinson, Tershawn Wharton and Bobby Brown on a completely revamped defensive line. With last year’s sixth-round pick Jaden Crumedy and former starting nose tackle Shy Tuttle competing to stick around, Jackson could end up pushing one or both of them off the roster.

After a long and exciting journey through the 2025 NFL draft, Carolina Panthers general manager Dan Morgan and head coach Dave Canales made one particular message rather clear—and it was that they came away with their guys.

The 2025 NFL draft (ESPN, ABC, ESPN App) is underway in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and the Carolina Panthers kicked things off with Arizona WR Tetairoa McMillan, the No. 8 pick of Round 1. Here is a breakdown of each Panthers pick: My take: Using the eighth pick on another weapon for quarterback Bryce Young instead of improving the NFL's last-place 2024 defense shows the Panthers didn't have a player on their board outside of Michigan DT Mason Graham (No.