Carolina Panthers fans are used to going over mock drafts at this time of year. They usually are languishing among the bottom feeders league-wide, so getting a head start on what top prospects might be there for the taking with another high-end pick became a depressingly familiar feeling.
That's not the case this time around.
The Panthers are quickly becoming one of the NFL's surprise packages in 2025. They are half a game out of first place in the NFC South. Depending on what happens this weekend, they could even supplant the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the summit before Week 13.