In contrast to the previous handful of years, the forecast on the Carolina Panthers' first-round pick is a bit cloudy. Instead of choosing from a few of the very top prospects within the top 10 slots of the draft, their position in 2026—at 19th overall—could present a wealth of different avenues.In fact, president of football operations and general manager Dan Morgan conveyed as much—stating last week that "all positions" are on the table for Thursday night.So, what positions and players do the sport's top experts see the Panthers taking in the opening round of this year's selection process?Here—via a group of 30 insiders, reporters and analysts—are the final predictions for Carolina's first-round pick:Bucky Brooks (NFL Media): Kenyon Sadiq, TE, OregonDane Brugler (The Athletic): Dillon Thieneman, S, OregonEric Edholm (NFL Media): Kadyn Proctor, OL, AlabamaJosh Edwards (CBS Sports): Chris Johnson, CB, San Diego StateMike Florio (Pro Football Talk): Kenyon Sadiq, TE, OregonDanny Heifetz (The Ringer): Kenyon Sadiq, TE, OregonNathan Jahnke (Pro Football Focus): Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, S, ToledoDaniel Jeremiah (NFL Media): Dillon Thieneman, S, OregonMike Kaye (The Charlotte Observer): Omar Cooper Jr., WR, IndianaDanny Kelly (The Ringer): Akheem Mesidor, EDGE, Miami (Fla.)Mel Kiper Jr. (ESPN): Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, S, ToledoDave Kluge (Footballguys): Keldric Faulk, EDGE, AuburnDiante Lee (The Ringer): Makai Lemon, WR, USCTodd McShay (The Ringer): Dillon Thieneman, S, OregonMatt Miller (ESPN): Kenyon Sadiq, TE, OregonJosh Norris (Underdog Sports): Dillon Thieneman, S, OregonConor Orr (Sports Illustrated): Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, S, ToledoJoe Person (The Athletic): Dillon Thieneman, S, OregonRob Rang (FOX Sports): Kadyn Proctor, OL, AlabamaJordan Reid (ESPN): Omar Cooper Jr., WR, IndianaMike Renner (CBS Sports): Jermod McCoy, CB, TennesseeChad Reuter (NFL Media): Kenyon Sadiq, TE, OregonConnor Rogers (NBC Sports): Makai Lemon, WR, USCKeith Sanchez (The Draft Network): Spencer Fano, OL, UtahPeter Schrager (ESPN): KC Concepcion, WR, Texas A&MEvan Silva (Establish The Run): Monroe Freeling, OL, GeorgiaNate Tice (Yahoo Sports): Dillon Thieneman, S, OregonRyan Wilson (CBS Sports): Dillon Thieneman, S, OregonHayden Winks (Underdog Sports): Kenyon Sadiq, TE, OregonLance Zierlein (NFL Media): KC Concepcion, WR, Texas A&MTotals:Thieneman: 7Sadiq: 6McNeil-Warren: 3Concepcion: 2Cooper: 2Lemon: 2Proctor: 2Fano: 1Freeling: 1Johnson: 1McCoy: 1Follow @ThePanthersWire on Twitter/X for more Panthers content.This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: 2026 NFL Draft: 30 expert predictions for Panthers' 1st-round pick