How Matthew Stafford situation could impact Panthers draft plans
By Dean Jones
Stafford’s impact on Carolina Panthers draft plans
If the Carolina Panthers opt not to go after Matthew Stafford in the trade market, they need to keep a close eye on where he does end up. This could have a big impact on what they’ll be able to do at No. 8 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft, with the Detroit Lions sure to be aiming at taking a quarterback just one position in front of them.
Stafford has been heavily linked with a move to the Indianapolis Colts.
This is bad news for the Panthers.
If the top-three prospects at the position are gone by the time Detroit is on the clock as expected, it limits their options to a certain extent. However, they would the first shot at taking someone like Trey Lance, who has an exceptional skill set coming out of North Dakota State and comes with some high upside providing he makes a smooth transition from a small school program to the pros.
The talent level outside of these four drops off considerably. So if the Lions want to take a quarterback who could lead them in the event Stafford does depart, this would arguably be the smartest way to go.
This leaves the Panthers with two options. Either try and get a prospect later on in the draft who may or may not work out or make a bold move to trade for an established player to replace Teddy Bridgewater under center.
Whether the Panthers have enough in the way of capital to a franchise-altering player like Deshaun Watson is highly debatable. But if they were hoping to get this sort of player from this year’s draft, Detroit’s impending need for a long-term Stafford replacement has thrown a significant spanner in their plans.