​A first-round draft pick is the ultimate commodity in the NFL—the standard by which all prospects and all current players are judged. They make up the heart of most successful rosters around the league and give hope to hapless franchises.A few years ago, the Panthers were almost entirely bereft of players who were worth a first-round pick. But thanks to a few great draft classes from general manager Dan Morgan, that’s no longer the case.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementESPN analyst Bill Barnwell has a new list out, naming players from each NFL team that have a trade value worth a first-rounder. In the Panthers’ case, he named two that are worth more than a first, and two more worth one.Defensive tackle Derrick Brown and wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan made the first cut. Barnwell writes:Brown successfully returned from the knee injury that cost the star tackle virtually all of the 2024 season and had arguably his best season as a pro. Brown racked up five sacks and was a load for offensive linemen to handle when they tried to run between the tackles against Carolina…Brown’s absence was very apparent in 2024, where he missed 16 out of 17 games after sustaining a meniscus injury in the season opener. Carolina finished the campaign having allowed the most yards per game and the most points in league history.His return in 2025 not only helped bump the Panthers defense from 32nd to 16th, but also pushed them to their first division title in a decade.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementMcMillan played a factor in capturing the NFC South crown as well. The 2025 eighth overall selection reeled in 70 catches for 1,014 yards and seven scores en route to being named the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year.Barnwell went on to single out this year’s first-rounder, offensive tackle Monroe Freeling, and cornerback Jaycee Horn as being worth a first:Horn can be every bit as good as the best cornerbacks in football when it comes to coverage, but he’s not on the level of Christian Gonzalez or Patrick Surtain II as a tackler, where he missed 20% of his attempts in 2025. Horn has also struggled with injuries in years past, although he has managed to play 31 of 34 possible games over the past two seasons.In the tier of “missing out” for the Panthers, Barnwell named edge rusher Jaelan Phillips and starting quarterback Bryce Young—who may be the team’s two biggest x-factors this coming season.Anyway you cut it, Carolina has a relatively strong foundation to build on now. It will take improvement from Young and a few other key players, but this roster is getting closer to contention every year.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementFollow @ThePanthersWire on Twitter/X for more Panthers content.This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: NFL analyst determines how many Panthers are worth a 1st-round pick