After trading the first pick of the third round (No. 65 overall) in the 2024 NFL Draft to the New York Jets to slide back to No. 72 and pick up a fifth-rounder (No. 157), the Carolina Panthers selected Kentucky linebacker Trevin Wallace.
Wallace has elite athleticism for his size at 6-foot-1 and 237 pounds. He ran a 4.51-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine in February and has been described as a sideline-to-sideline linebacker. He was the first defensive player selected by the Panthers after taking receiver Xavier Legette and running back Jonathan Brooks in the first two rounds.
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Critics of Wallace's game say he lacks high-level play recognition and consistency when getting off blocks. While he did have 5.5 sacks for the Wildcats in 2023, he is not considered an above-average pass-rusher.
Wallace gives Carolina depth at the linebacker position behind Shaq Thompson, Josey Jewell and Claudin Cherelus.
At the time this story was published, Carolina's next selection was the first pick of the fourth round, No. 101 overall.
