Panthers predicted to draft 'mammoth' Alabama OT prospect in 2026

On paper the Carolina Panthers look much better now than they did at this time last season. On paper. Football is played on grass - or unfortunately - on artifical turf, though. That means whatever we see on paper now may be useless come Week 1 when all the hypotheticals go out the winow and we find out what this team is actually made of.

Finishing with a 9-8 record should be head coach Dave Canales' goal for 2025 - and it's perfectly reachable if their core pieces stay healthy and at least some of their new additions prove to be upgrades. However, a lot of things can bring that projection down - and by now Panthers fans have to know better than to get their hopes up too high. If things don't go according to plan they could be in line for another top 10 overall pick in next year's draft.

A new mock draft scenario from Ethan Woodie at profootballrumors has that playing out, with Carolina picking at No. 6. There Woodie has them taking Alabama offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor.

"A mammoth human being at 6-7 and 360 pounds, Proctor earns the "dancing bear" title well. He's so big, he's tough for defenders to get around in their pass rushes, but he's nimble at that size, too."

Proctor played 639 snaps at left tackle last season for Alabama, earning a solid 70.8 overall grade from Pro Fotoball Focus for his trouble. They have him credited with allowing three sacks, three hits and nine hurries all year. Proctor truly shines as a run mauler, though.