Kassidy Hill

CHARLOTTE The 2025 NFL draft is now less than a month away. Teams are updating their big board every day, welcoming in prospects for visits, and evaluating their current rosters every minute of every day. Only a select few in each building know what a club might due when the first round quicks off on April 24 in Green Bay, but between now and then, we will take a look at different positions of need for the Carolina Panthers, and how they might be addressed in the upcoming draft.

The Panthers currently have nine picks:

• Rd. 1, No. 8 overall
• Rd. 2, No 57 overall (from Rams)
• Rd. 3, No. 74 overall
• Rd. 4, No. 111 overall
• Rd. 4, No. 114 overall (from Cowboys)
• Rd. 5, No. 140 overall (from Giants)
• Rd. 5, No. 146 overall
• Rd. 5, No. 163 overall (from Ravens)
• Rd. 7, No. 230 overall (from Cardinals)

Position previews are an aggregation from the opinion and analysis of various draft websites and mock drafts. These are not rankings of a position, but rather a preview of names projected across all three days of the draft. Analysis by the Panthers editorial staff does not reflect the Panthers football staff and front office

Next up is special teams.

The Panthers made a lot of changes on the special teams front this offseason. Free agent Johnny Hekker moved on to the Tennessee Titans, and the Panthers brought in veteranSam Martin. The Martin deal is for one-year, indicating there could be a need for the future at that position. Additionally, Eddy Pieiro remains an unrestricted free agent. The one constant, as always, is the return of long snapperJJ Jansen.

Jeremy Crawshaw Florida (P)

The Australian leaves UF as one of the most proficient punters in college football history. He averaged 46.4 yards per punt, which is the fifth best mark for any punter since statistics of that category began to be kept in 2000. In 2023 particularly, he averaged 48.9 yards per punt, one of the best marks in the nation, with 15 punts inside the 20-yard line. Crawshaw is pinpoint accurate and has rugby punts in his arsenal.

James Burnip Alabama (P)

Another Australian punter, Burnip averaged 45.37 yards per punt in 2024, and led the SEC with 2,806 punt yards total. He's tall, at 6-6 235 pounds, and has Australian football in his background. Burnip's biggest strength is his hang time. The impressive skill, in conjunction with coverage, allowed Alabama's punt return defense to allow an average of a mere 1.00 yard per return last season.

Luke Elzinga Oklahoma (P)

After three years at Central Michigan, Elzinga transferred to Oklahoma where he established himself as a solid and dependable punter. His experienced at both schools make him an all-weather punter, and he's flashed the ability to execute fake punts as well. Has proven himself on directional punts as well.

Kai Kroeger South Carolina (P)

Kroeger started all five years for the Gamecocks, posting his best season in 2024 when he averaged 47.8 yards per punt, fourth in the FBS. Kroeger is from Lake Forest, Illinois, just north of Chicago and on Lake Michigan, giving him ample experience in cold weather games before he came to the Carolinas. He stands out though as a former quarterback who has gone 7-10 on passes for 205 yards and three touchdowns on fake punts.

Alex Mastromanno FSU (P)

Mastromanno dominated the punting world in 2024, leading all FBS punters with an average of 49.27 yards per punt, including 30 of 50-plus yards, landing him on the first-team All-American list. He landed 17 of his 55 punts inside the 20-yard line, forced 18 fair catches and had only two touchbacks all season. The Australian punter is stout at 6-1 243 pounds.

Andres Borregales Miami (K)

The Venezuelan native followed in his brother's footsteps at Miami and became the Hurricanes all-time leading scorer (405 points). He had his best season in 2024 with a 94.7 make percentage on field goals, including two-of-two from 50-plus (long of 56). He was perfect on extra points. He was first-team All-ACC the last two seasons, and can also handled kickoffs.

Ben Sauls Pittsburgh (K)

The former soccer player is one of the better kickoff specialists in this years draft, with an impressive hang time that should translate to the NFL. As a field goal specialist, Sauls has been clutch for Pitt. He hasn't missed a kick of 40 yards or fewer the last two seasons (14-14) and has gone 18-26 on kicks over 40-yards. In 2024, he went 6-7 on kicks of 50-plus yards (a Pitt single-season record) with a long of 58-yards.

Ryan Fitzgerald FSU (K)

Fitzgerald was perfect in 2024, going 13-13 on field goals, tied for best in FBS. He went 5-5 on those of 50-plus yards, including an ACC record 56-yarder. After a disappointing 2022, Fitzgerald went 32-34 on field goals the last two seasons. His kickoff hang time is below average, but his trajectory of consistency in 2023 and 2024 will provide teams with comfort.