Panthers Settle in at 7th for 2020 NFL Draft

A 5-11 record delivers the Carolina Panthers a top-10 draft pick for the eighth time in team history

A 5-11 record along with the success and failures of other teams have positioned the Carolina Panthers seventh in next year's NFL draft. 

It marks the eighth time in the team's 25-year history that it's had a top-10 selection, three of which are still with the team. Cincinnati had already secured the first pick in the draft, which will be held from April 23-25 in Las Vegas. Carolina could have landed at the No. 6 spot, but a Los Angeles Chargers loss to Kansas City positioned the Chargers one spot ahead of the Panthers. 

The most recent instance was when Carolina drafted running back Christian McCaffrey out of Stanford with the eighth overall pick. The Panthers took linebacker Luke Kuechly out of Boston College with the No. 9 selection in the 2012 draft, one year after selecting quarterback Cam Newton out of Auburn with the top pick.

Carolina's other top-10 draft picks are:

2003: Jordan Gross (tackle), Utah

2002: Julius Peppers (defensive end), North Carolina

1996: Tim Biakabutuka (running back), Michigan

1995: Kerry Collins (quarterback), Penn State

With the first 20 selections locked down by non-playoff teams, the remaining 12 slots will be determined after the playoffs.

2020 NFL draft order:

1. Cincinnati (2-14)
2. Washington (3-13)
3. Detroit (3-12-1)
4. NY Giants (4-12)
5. Miami (5-11)
6. LA Chargers (5-11)
7. Carolina (5-11)
8. Arizona (5-10-1)
9. Jacksonville (6-10)
10. Cleveland (6-10)
11. NY Jets (7-9)
12. Oakland (7-9)
13. Indianapolis (7-9)
14. Tampa Bay (7-9)
15. Denver (7-9)
16. Atlanta (7-9)
17. Cowboys (8-8)
18. Pittsburgh (to Miami) (8-8)
19. Chicago (to Oakland) (8-8)
20. LA Rams (to Jacksonville (9-7)