Cade Mays
Detroit LionsModel Score
How good he is at what he is supposed to be doing, out of 100. Not a projection of what he will do next, and not a read on his contract. Median is about 70, and a 95 is rare. How it is built →
Season Stats · 13 games
Draft & College
Comps
STM Take
Tier 8 (#84) to tier 4 (#31) to tier 2 (#11) over three years for a 199th overall pick is the kind of arc that turns Day 3 IOL projects into priority extensions. The Tennessee positional flexibility plus the Carolina interior structure appears to be unlocking Mays's ceiling. The 2026 question is whether Mays crosses into tier 1 territory or whether the tier 2 finish becomes the stable baseline that Carolina locks in with a long-term deal.
Mays came out of Tennessee as the Carolina Panthers' 6th-round pick (199th overall) in 2022 after playing both tackle and guard for the Volunteers. He spent two years as depth and a spot starter, then emerged as a structural Carolina interior starter in 2024. His STTM career runs tier 8 (#84) in 2023, tier 4 (#31) in 2024, and tier 2 (#11) in 2025, one of the cleanest three-year developmental arcs at the position for a Day 3 pick.
Strengths
- Three-year STTM arc tier 8 to tier 4 to tier 2 for a 199th overall pick puts him in the small group of Day 3 IOLs to crack the top-15 trajectory.
- Carolina's broader offensive line investment (Damien Lewis at guard, multiple high IOL picks) creates the structural support that holds Mays's ceiling.
Concerns
- Single tier 2 finish without prior top-30 STTM history raises the question of whether the 2025 jump locks in or whether it drifts back to tier 4-5.
- Carolina's broader offensive identity instability (QB transition, coaching turnover) compresses the structural environment that supports Mays's ceiling.
What to watch: Whether Mays holds tier 3 or better in 2026 plus signs a market-rate extension, the threshold that confirms Carolina's long-term commitment.