Story by
Highlights for all of Panthers' Day 3 picks from 2026 NFL Draft
- Story by
- Highlights for all of Panthers' Day 3 picks from 2026 NFL Draft
After hitting on quite a bit of value over the first three rounds of the 2026 NFL Draft , the Carolina Panthers finished the annual selection process strong on Saturday.
General manager Dan Morgan and company began Day 3 by trading back twice, and ultimately landing Texas A&M cornerback Will Lee III. Lee was a second-team All-SEC selection in 2024, and brings length and some much-needed depth on the outside.
Advertisement
The fifth round then yielded a pair of steals in Kansas State center Sam Hecht and Penn State safety Zakee Wheatley. Both Hecht and Wheatley, given Carolina's weaknesses at their positions, should have chances to compete for starting jobs right away.
Miami of Ohio linebacker Jackson Kuwatch was the final piece of the class, as their seventh-rounder. While he went under the radar, the big 6-foot-4 defender may be a name to keep in mind this summer.
So, how do these picks look on the field?
Here are the highlights for each of the Panthers' Day 3 selections:
Fourth round (No. 129): Will Lee III, CB, Texas A&M
Fifth round (No. 144): Sam Hecht, C, Kansas State
Fifth round (No. 151): Zakee Wheatley, S, Penn State
Seventh round (No. 227): Jackson Kuwatch, LB, Miami (Ohio)
Follow @ThePanthersWire on Twitter/X for more Panthers content.
This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: 2026 NFL Draft: Highlights for Panthers' Day 3 picks
