Carolina Panthers UDFA roundup: Signings, bonuses

The dust on the 2023 NFL Draft has finally settled on Saturday evening. But that doesn’t mean that there isn’t still plenty of talent available out there for teams to scoop up. Plenty of incredibly talented players go undrafted each and every year. The bad news for undrafted players is they weren’t drafted, but it’s actually advantageous. When players go undrafted, they can choose to sign with whichever NFL team they wish. That means it should be easier for them to find a team that will give them the best chance of making their roster.

The Carolina Panthers agreed to terms with 13 undrafted free agents following the 2023 NFL Draft on Saturday night. Check out the list below and learn a few quick notes about each player. Keep in mind, the contracts aren’t official until the players arrive and sign prior to the rookie minicamp, which will be held May 12-13.

Here’s a look at the full list as it currently stands. It could definitely change in the coming days.

Carolina Panthers UDFAs

  • Auburn EDGE Eku Leota–Eku Leota first went to Northwestern before transferring to Auburn in 2021 as a graduate transfer. In two seasons at Auburn, he played in 17 games. In those games, he had 15 tackles for loss and nine sacks. Combined with his performance at Northwestern, he had 25 career tackles for loss and 15.5 career sacks. Mike Kaye of The Charlotte Observer reported that Leota signed his UDFA deal with the Panthers.
  • North Dakota State OL Nash Jensen–Jensen was a highly decorated offensive lineman for the Bison, starting 55 games at left guard during his final four seasons there. He earned first and second team All-American honors from a variety of publications for the 2022 campaign. Ross Uglem of 247Sports reported that he signed a UDFA deal with the Panthers.
  • Kent State S Nico Bolden–Before starring for the Golden Flashes the past two seasons, Bolden spent the first four years of his college football career with the New Mexico Lobos. He led the Golden Flashes in tackles during the 2022 campaign, racking up 102. Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported that Bolden signed his UDFA deal with the Panthers.
  • UNLV LB Austin Ajiake–Ajiake was a tackling machine who led the Mountain West Conference in tackles for the 2022 campaign (132). That number also ranked him fifth in the nation in that stat category. Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reported the news on Ajiake’s UDFA contract with Carolina.
  • Baylor CB Mark Milton–Milton saved his best season for last for the Baylor Bears, racking up 45 tackles, 34 solo tackles, and one interception. He finished with 96 career tackles, eight passes defended, and one interception during his 45 games there. Justin Melo of The Draft Network reported the news of Milton signing with Carolina.
  • Oregon State CB Rezjohn Wright–Before playing for Oregon State, Wright played college football at Laney College (JUCO). He spent his final three seasons with the Oregon State Beavers, where he shined during his final two years. Wright earned All-Pac-12 first-team honors following the 2022 season. He racked up 38 tackles, one fumble recovery, two interceptions, and nine pass breakups his senior campaign. Rezjohn Wright announced on his Twitter page on Saturday evening that he’d signed the UDFA deal with the Panthers.
  • Arizona State EDGE Travez Moore–Moore spent time at JUCO before transferring to LSU. Then for his final two seasons of college football, he played for Arizona State. During 15 games his two years there, he racked up 28 tackles and 5.5 tackles for loss. Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reported the news on Moore signing an undrafted free agent contract with the Panthers.
  • Arkansas LB Bumper Pool–Pool was an incredibly dominant linebacker during his time with the Razorbacks, finishing as the school’s all-time leading tackler once he wrapped up his prolific career there. He racked up 441 total tackles during his career at Arkansas, surpassing Tony Bua’s mark of 408. Pool earned second-team All-American honors in 2022 and third-team All-American honors in 2021. Anthony Rizzuti of PanthersWire reported the news of Poole signing the UDFA deal with Carolina.
  • South Carolina WR Josh Vann–He spent five years with the Gamecocks. Vann hauled in 108 career catches during his time there, ranking him 16th in school history. He finished his career with 1,352 receiving yards for his career.
  • North Carolina A&T OT Ricky Lee III–Before spending his final two seasons with the North Carolina A&T Aggies, Lee spent his first two seasons with North Carolina Central. During the 2021 season with North Carolina A&T, he logged the second most offensive snaps among the team’s offensive linemen (648).

Let’s take a look at the list of Carolina’s draft picks from the 2023 NFL Draft.

CAROLINA 2023 NFL DRAFT PICKS

Round 1, No. 1 overall pick: Bryce Young–QB–Alabama Crimson Tide: The Panthers didn’t overthink it with the No. 1 overall selection. They went with the 2021 Heisman Trophy winner. Young was unflappable, poised, and consistently calm during his time with the Alabama Crimson Tide. He was one of the greatest quarterbacks in college football history, and the Panthers are hoping he’ll take their franchise to places they haven’t seen since Cam Newton led them to the Super Bowl in 2016.

Round 2, No. 39 overall pick: Jonathan Mingo–WR–Ole Miss Rebels: Carolina didn’t waste any time in getting Young another pass-catching weapon. They went out and got Mingo. While his numbers weren’t amazing at Ole Miss, he saved his best season for last. He hauled in 51 catches for 861 receiving yards and five touchdowns his senior year.

Round 3, No. 80 overall pick: DJ Johnson–LB–Oregon: The Panthers went out and got some help at the linebacker position in the third round. Johnson earned Pac-12 honorable mention honors in his final season with the Ducks. He racked up a career-high six sacks his final season–ranking him fifth most in the Pac-12 in that stat category.

Round 4, No. 114 overall pick: Chandler Zavala–G–N.C. State: He played alongside Ikey Ekwonu during his time with the Wolfpack. The tandem will be reunited as teammates yet again with the Panthers.

Round 5, No. 145 overall pick: Jammie Robinson–S–Florida State: The Panthers went out and got one of the best players on the Florida State football team the past few seasons. Robinson was a two-time All-ACC selection for the ‘Noles. He racked up 99 tackles and an interception in 2022, helping propel the Seminoles to a remarkable 10-3 turnaround this season.