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NFC Notes: Avieon Terrell, Zachariah Branch, Jackson Kuwatch, Falcons, Panthers
May 4, 2026Wyatt GrindleyNFL Trade Rumors
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Falcons Regarding Falcons’ third-round WR Zachariah Branch , Jeremy Fowler of ESPN cites one NFC executive who thinks Branch is best used in a versatile sense rather than as a traditional receiver: “He’s good on gadget plays, getting the ball to him quickly. Screens, sweeps. He’s excellent with ball in his hands. He’s a dangerous returner. If you use him like that, he’s going to be a valuable guy. Being an intermediate and downfield passing guy is not what he majors in, though he can do some of that.” Although second-round CB Avieon Terrell ran a 40-yard dash time of 4.6 at the NFL Combine, Fowler notes that Terrell was dealing with a hamstring issue. One NFL personnel evaluator told Fowler that Terrell is “fast enough, particularly when breaking on routes.” Aaron Wilson of KPRC reports the Falcons hired Justin Hickman as a national scout, Keith Earle as an area scout and Daniel Clements as a BLESTO scout. Panthers According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN , the Panthers were “tackle or bust” with their first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, and they were high on Kadyn Proctor , but he went No. 12 to the Dolphins. Utah’s Caleb Lomu was also on Carolina’s short list. As for their eventual pick, Monroe Freeling , Fowler writes that he was “highly regarded” by the organization. Although Carolina still has a “glaring need” at tight end, Fowler writes that they passed on TE Eli Stowers at No. 49 because they weren’t fully comfortable with him as a player. In the end, the Panthers liked the idea of pairing second-round TE Lee Hunter with Derrick Brown . One AFC scout questions if third-round WR Chris Brazzell II can succeed, given Tennessee receivers have had trouble in the NFL: “He’s fast and big, but those Tennessee receivers have had trouble making it in the league. He does have some route-running ability, though. He could become an exception.” Panthers Panthers rookie LB Jackson Kuwatch said he grew up watching former Panthers LB Luke Kuechly and added that he modeled his game after him. “ I grew up watching him a lot, ” Kuwatch said, via The Charlotte Observer . “ He was actually — he was my favorite player — probably still is my favorite player ever. ” Panthers GM Dan Morgan said that Kuwatch will have to cut his teeth on special teams in the beginning but will eventually have a chance to earn a rotational role, or more, on the defense. “ Good player, ” Morgan said following Kuwatch’s selection. “ Good instincts. He can run, can play fast. He sees (the field) really well. A guy that we’re obviously excited about. I think he’s definitely going to be able to contribute on special teams, and again, like every area, he’s going to have a chance to compete and show us what he can do. ” Kuwatch transferred to Miami Ohio after initially starting his collegiate career at Ohio State. He had a breakout season last year, which propelled his draft stock. “ I think a big part of that was the opportunity and my mindset, ” Kuwatch said about his breakout season. “ I feel like I had a switch in mindset and I kind of just went out there and played. I think I did a good job learning from mistakes. I’m a film junkie. I think it was a mindset and kind of just letting loose and playing ball really. ” Kuwatch made a name for himself in the Shrine Bowl during the pre-draft process, which helped him get selected in the draft. “ That was great exposure for me being a (Mid-American Conference) player, going to Miami of Ohio, ” Kuwatch said. “ That week of the Shrine B…