What can the Panthers do to acquire more NFL Draft picks?

Trading players for picks

This is a fallacy that needs to be addressed. Quite a few names have popped up as trade fodder for a continued rebuild. But there isn’t a whole lot of consideration for what the Carolina Panthers would realistically net for their current starters.

The Jacksonville Jaguars currently has two first-round picks. But they’re also in the process of a rebuild after trading Jalen Ramsey and A.J. Bouye so they won’t give those up. The Las Vegas Raiders probably won’t give up either of their first-round selections for a running back or a wide receiver while they have Josh Jacobs on the rise and there are plenty of great wide receivers available in the first round.

The San Francisco 49ers might be willing to part ways with one first-round pick. But a trade would only be considered a win on the Panthers’ end if they walk away with some top-tier recruits.

That leaves the Miami Dolphins, who might be willing to part ways with one or two of their first-round selections. The problem Carolina has is trading one of their offensive starters not named Christian McCaffrey probably wouldn’t be enough for it.

Former first-rounder D.J Moore is a rising star who happens to be good in yards after the catch and blocking. So trading him for anything less than a high first would be foolish.

Former second-rounder Curtis Samuel is another solid guy who puts in a substantial amount of work. But after a year of not having enough opportunities to display his deep threat talents, other teams might not be convinced he’s worth more than a second-round selection.

McCaffrey would be the last tradable player. But unless the Panthers know they can replace his production with someone already on the roster then it would be detrimental for them to try it.

The team is already on thin ice after going all-in on some fan favorites. They might want to evaluate if Matt Rhule’s current roster members are worth such a commitment going forward.