Panthers 2021 draft: Trades galore in full 7-round mock draft

Round No. 2 (Pick No. 47)

Richie Grant – S (Central Florida)

A trade-up in the first round is quickly followed by a move down in the second. The Los Angeles Chargers gave up two of their selections to acquire Penn State tight end Pat Freiermuth, who seems to be the tailormade replacement for Hunter Henry that should ensure quarterback Justin Herbert doesn’t lose anything in the way of weapons after a sensational rookie campaign.

This is a win-win for the Carolina Panthers, who get their third-rounder back and also had Richie Grant fall into their laps. A similar situation occurred last year when they contemplated moving back into the first round for Yetur Gross-Matos before he dropped to No. 38 and if Matt Rhule’s comments after the Senior Bowl were any indication, the Central Florida safety is someone high on Carolina’s shortlist.

Although Grant doesn’t have elite explosiveness to call upon, he does everything really well. His football IQ is of an extremely high standard and the prospect also has an ability to be around the ball consistently no matter what the situation.

Carolina has the option of moving Jeremy Chinn back to his preferred position of safety after starring at outside linebacker as a rookie. But considering how inconsistent Juston Burris was last season, adding someone with the upside of Grant wouldn’t be the worst idea in the world.