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Panthers Predicted to Pair Jaelan Phillips with 21-Sack SEC Star in 2027 Draft
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- Panthers Predicted to Pair Jaelan Phillips with 21-Sack SEC Star in 2027 Draft
The Carolina Panthers have seen some big changes come to their edge rusher group this offseason.
First, the team spent a ton of money to lure Jaelan Phillips in free agency . Phillips was one of the top pass rushers on the market, and the Panthers are paying him to be a star.
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Then, the team saw 2025 second-round pick Nic Scourton suffer a torn ACL on the very first day of training camp. That was a huge blow, because the duo of Phillips and Scourton had potential to be explosive. Scourton led the team in sacks as a rookie, so a big second-year jump was expected.
Now, the Panthers are relying on a combination of Phillips, Patrick Jones II , and Princely Umanmielen in 2026. If the pass rush struggles again in 2026, would the team possibly draft an edge rusher high in the 2027 draft ? At least one mock draft believes so.
Mock Draft has Panthers Selecting Colin Simmons
The Bleacher Report scouting department recently unveiled its initial 2027 mock draft. The team used reverse Super Bowl odds to determine draft order, so the Panthers had the No. 7 pick.
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With that pick, the scouting department chose Texas edge rusher Colin Simmons for the Panthers. Simmons is considered one of, if not the best, edge rusher prospects in the 2026 class.
"After signing Jaelan Phillips in free agency this past offseason, this pick definitely leans toward the 'best player available' strategy," B/R scout Matt Holder said . "Simmons currently ranks as the third overall prospect and best pass-rusher on Bleacher Report's initial big board."
As Holder explained, the Panthers might be in position to take the best player available, so it would be perfect if the best player available also happens to fit a big need for the team.
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Scourton will be back for the 2027 season, but instead of building off an impressive rookie season, as he would be in 2026, the edge rusher will instead just try to prove he's healthy and slowly improve. As a result, the Panthers would be wise to add another talented player just in case Scourton isn't the same.
Simmons has been one of the most productive edge rushers in the SEC over the last two seasons. The Texas product has 21 sacks and 29.5 tackles for loss over the last two seasons. Pro Football Focus gave Simmons an elite 91.7 pass rush grade for his 2025 performance.
It will be interesting to see how the 2026 season goes for both the Panthers and Simmons.
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Aug 18, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
