I’d be lying if I said defensive tackle Star Lotulelei of Utah is the player I hoped Carolina would draft.

A few thoughts on the first half of the first round of the NFL draft:

A pick-by-pick look at the first round of the 2013 NFL draft, by the Observer’s Jonathan Jones.

5 things to watch from the Panthers in NFL draft.

NFL reporters Joseph Person and Jonathan Jones offer projections for the Carolina Panthers’ five picks in this week’s NFL draft.

The Pro Football Writers of America held a mock draft Tuesday that shook out pretty well for the Carolina Panthers.

The Observer’s list of the top 100 players available in the NFL draft.

Five things to watch from the Carolina Panthers perspective in Thursday’s first round of the 2013 NFL draft.

Ffans always want the sleek sports cars in the NFL draft – the fast offensive playmakers. But the Carolina Panthers need at least one steamroller instead – and preferably two.

Scanning multiple mock drafts to size up where UNC, NC State, Duke, Wake Forest, Elon and Appalachian State players might be taken in the 2013 NFL draft.

If we were being nitpicky, we’d point out that the stadium deal – which puts the taxpayers on the hook for $87 million – never precisely spells out how the Panthers are going to use the money.

The sensible and mature move would be for the Carolina Panthers to select a defensive tackle Thursday with the 14{+t}{+h} pick in the NFL draft. But it’s time to do something crazy.

When Conner Vernon committed to Duke as an 18-year-old freshman in 2008, his recruiter, Scottie Montgomery, was the primary reason. So it was fitting, in a way, that Montgomery would return to Duke and be the last collegiate coach to train Vernon before he began his professional career.

During his pre-draft press conference Thursday, new Panthers general manager Dave Gettleman started talking about free agency.

The city of Charlotte and the Carolina Panthers have reached agreement on improvements of the team’s stadium.