2025 NFL Draft Order: Panthers fall in pecking order after upset loss to Cowboys

The Panthers lost, and their draft status got worse.

Dec 15, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9 throws a pass against the Dallas Cowboys during the second half at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images / Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

It was an all-around disappointing Sunday for the Carolina Panthers. Favored for the first time in over 30 NFL games, they laid a total egg against the Dallas Cowboys. All the progress they'd made over the previous few weeks went out the window and they were shellacked 30-14, which indicates that it was closer than it actually was.

To make matters worse, the rest of the NFL's results hurt the Panthers' draft stock. A win, which would have been nice in such trying times the last few years, would have moved them from fourth overall to seventh. The loss moved them from fourth to fifth.

Panthers fall in draft order despite loss

For a moment, with some results yet incomplete when the Panthers officially lost, Carolina looked poised to rise to third overall in the 2025 NFL Draft Order. Given the needs of the first two teams on the board, Travis Hunter to Carolina was suddenly a very real possibility.

Now that they're picking fifth, that is probably off the table. While the top two picks are likely to be quarterbacks, the Jacksonville Jaguars and New England Patriots don't need quarterbacks and are directly ahead of Carolina.

The path to the number one overall pick is difficult. Currently, the Pats and Jags have the same 3-11 record as the Panthers, but they have tiebreakers for better draft positioning. The Raiders (who play tonight) and Giants both have two wins and lost head-to-head with the Panthers.

That means, in order to pass all four teams ahead of them, the Panthers need to finish with a worse record. That's not as likely to happen with the Panthers playing three playoff hopefuls to close out the NFL season.

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