Panthers selected Penn State S Zakee Wheatley with the No. 151 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

25 April 2026

He will join a Carolina coverage unit that gave up the league’s 11th highest drop back success rate and the tenth lowest adjusted yards per attempt in 2025. Wheatley (6’3/203) brings a long, linear frame with adequate athleticism (7.68 RAS) highlighted by strong agility testing (4.11s shuttle, 91st%) despite just average long speed (4.62s, 48th%). He produced 74 tackles with a 74.0% run-stop share and 83.1% tackle rate, operating as a high-volume box/overhang defender who consistently triggered downhill in Penn State’s split-safety structure. In coverage, Wheatley was targeted on just 3.5% of his 309 snaps, but allowed 8-of-11 completions (72.7%) for 72 yards with 2 TDs and a 99.1 QB rating, reflecting limited playmaking (1 INT, 1 PBU) and passive disruption (0.0% forced incompletion rate). His 0.23 yards per coverage snap and ability to limit explosives (one 20+ allowed) speak to disciplined zone spacing and range within structure, even if he rarely challenged at the catch point.