The strongest starting position group for the Carolina Panthers may reside in their cornerback room.
Two-time Pro Bowler Jaycee Horn leads the group, and is paired with the criminally-underrated and emerging Mike Jackson on the boundary. They’re even flanked by some solid talent—with Corey Thornton and Chau Smith-Wade in the slot and 2026 fourth-round pick Will Lee III joining the group.
Clearly, general manager Dan Morgan intends on making this unit one of the team’s superpowers—so fans shouldn’t be surprised if cornerback is first on his list going into next year’s draft.
Well, that’s exactly what happens in a new 2027 mock from CBS Sports. They have the Panthers taking Georgia’s Ellis Robinson IV at No. 11 overall.
Josh Edwards writes:
The secondary was considered a high priority for the Panthers this year, and they ultimately selected Will Lee III and Zakee Wheatley on Day 3. Carolina attacks the position more aggressively in the 2027 NFL Draft.
Robinson (six-foot, 180 pounds) has the long and lanky profile the Panthers like at the position. He also has the requisite ball skills—having posting four interceptions and seven passes defenses in a breakout 2025 campaign.
Tight end and safety look to be the team’s two biggest roster holes on paper, but the Panthers can wait until the second and third rounds to address those. Great teams get to greatness by doubling down on their strengths, and fielding one of the NFL’s deepest cornerback rooms would be a smart step forward.
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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: 2027 NFL mock draft: CBS projects CB Ellis Robinson IV to Panthers
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