CHARLOTTE — With less than a month until the commissioner steps to the podium in Green Bay, we're fully immersed in draft season.

The Panthers hold the No. 8 overall pick in this year's draft, so there is already plenty of conversation about which way the club could go with the pick.

We'll keep tabs on what some of the draft experts think the Panthers should do by tracking the mock drafts between now and the April 24-26 event.

The Panthers have nine total picks, including eight in the first five rounds.

You can see all of their picks here, and we'll keep you posted on all the latest at Panthers.com.

Jalon Walker, LB, Georgia

The Panthers need to accumulate game-wreckers on defense. They finished last in the league in both run defense and points allowed this season, and they were tied for third worst with 32 sacks. Walker, an explosive chess piece who has the speed to run sideline-to-sideline and the quickness to routinely win pass-rushing reps, can elevate Carolina's defense on multiple levels. He tallied 60 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks in 2024.

Jalon Walker, Edge/ LB, Georgia

The Panthers have made a series of edge rusher investments over the past two years, but none has massively moved the needle. The Panthers -- who allowed the most yards per play (6.0) and tied for he third-fewest sacks (32) last season -- could truly address their need in the top 10, though.

Walker had 6.5. sacks in 2024 even though he spent a lot of his time patrolling the middle of the field at off-ball linebacker. Carolina could deploy Walker in a hybrid role since it needs a boost at both linebacker and edge rusher.

Tyler Warren, TE, Penn State

Bryce Young made strides as the Panthers' starting quarterback last season, and Warren is the best addition the team can make at this slot to help keep the QB on track. The 6-foot-5 1/2, 256-pound tight end can best linebackers and safeties on short and intermediate routes with his size but is also agile enough to test them downfield.

Trade details: Bengals send DE Trey Hendrickson and a first (No. 17) to the Panthers for a first (No. 8) and a third (No. 74)

WR Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona

Do the Panthers need pass-rush and coverage help? Yes. Should that deter them from selecting the big-bodied X receiver they desperately need? No. Maximizing Bryce Young's potential as a passer is a must after the former first-overall pick racked up the most big-time throws in the NFL from Week 8 onward. McMillan's 95.6 PFF receiving grade on passes targeted 10 or more yards downfield last season should allow the pair to flourish.

Mike Green, Edge, Michigan

The former UVA transfer played at Lafayette High School in Williamsburg, Virginia, the same school that produced Lawrence Taylor. Green, who weighed 251 pounds at the Senior Bowl, is incredibly explosive off the snap, plays with surprising power and consistently uses his hands well to get off blocks. He had the 1-on-1 rep of the week down in Mobile and his tape backs it up.

Jalon Walker, LB, Georgia

This team really needs another difference maker on defense, and Walker could effectively plug a gap at edge rusher or as an off-ball linebacker – and maybe both if he were to be deployed by coordinator Ejiro Evero in the optimal situationally dependent scenarios. But considering Jadeveon Clowney, 32, is the only player on this roster who generated more than a dozen pressures in 2024 – and just 22 – Walker's ability to get to quarterbacks might be his most-needed attribute here. Size (6-1, 243) is not among his selling points.