The Carolina Panthers zeroed in on Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King well before the 2026 NFL Draft and the team's process toward eventually acquiring him was brilliant by general manager Dan Morgan.
The Carolina Panthers sniffed around various quarterbacks ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft hoping to land a long-term developmental option to have behind starting quarterback Bryce Young .
Just before the draft, the Panthers brought veteran backup Will Grier back to Carolina to mask the team's intentions of acquiring a rookie arm. After the draft ended on Saturday night, the Panthers quickly made their move to land Georgia Tech QB Haynes King.
King was one of the 30 visits to come to the Panthers' facilities during the pre-draft process and a potential sixth-round option for the team. Instead, general manager Dan Morgan had an agreement in place to bring in the QB the rest of the NFL forgot to draft .
King has exciting traits for the Panthers to work with, most notably his mobility. General manager Dan Morgan said earlier in the offseason that he wanted to add more mobility to the QB room and now added a quarterback that posted 36 rushing touchdowns during his time at Georgia Tech.
After bringing him in as an undrafted free agent, the Panthers still gave King $250,000 in guaranteed money, equivalent to that of a sixth-round pick. King will be absolutely fun to watch during the preseason and could even see action during the regular season too.
Head coach Dave Canales has been against using Young as a QB-sneak player in short-yardage and goal-line situations. And we've seen teams trot out backup quarterbacks in that role before. King could be the new Taysom Hill -like player to mix in from time to time starting in 2026 while he develops as a true backup alongside Kenny Pickett.
It's a great fit and a great process. Going this direction with King also allowed the Panthers to use their seventh-round pick on another player Morgan will love.
Instead of drafting King with the 227th pick in the seventh-round, the Panthers used that selection to draft Miami of Ohio linebacker Jackson Kuwatch. Kuwatch was the definition of a sleeper in the 2026 NFL Draft and of course Morgan, being a former LB himself, sifted out the diamond in the rough.
Kuwatch had a 1.5 10-yard-split at his Pro Day, which was cited as the fastest time ever recorded by a linebacker. That quickness shows up on the tape with his downhill trigger against the run and blitzing the quarterback.
Kuwatch was also a productive player totaling 109 tackles, 10 TFLs and five sacks during the 2025 season. He can even provide special teams value while serving as a depth linebacker behind Devin Lloyd and Trevin Wallace .
Had the Panthers drafted King instead with this selection, the team would have missed out on a freak developmental linebacker. The way Dan Morgan maneuvered with this process was brilliant and shows why he's becoming one of the smartest GMs in football.
