4 partners if Carolina Panthers decide to trade down from No. 8
By Luke Tucker
With five quarterback prospects that could be drafted in the top 10, the Carolina Panthers could acquire some significant draft capital by trading the eighth pick.
After landing Sam Darnold this past week, the Carolina Panthers seem to have solved their quarterback conundrum, at least for now. The move comes with some risk – they gave up three draft picks, including a second-rounder next year – but the USC product will be only 24-years-old when the new season begins and still possesses the potential that made him the third-overall pick in 2018.
With that being said, the trade likely takes the Panthers out of the quarterback frenzy in this month’s NFL Draft.
Carolina currently holds the eighth pick in the first round, and with five quarterbacks who could potentially be selected in the top-10, they could be candidates to trade down. Ahead of the Panthers, the Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Jets, and San Francisco 49ers are almost certainly going to take quarterbacks with the first three picks, and the Atlanta Falcons could opt to follow suit at No. 4.
The Bengals, Dolphins, and Lions are unlikely to take one with picks 5-7, possibly leaving one or two of the top signal-callers left on the board when the Panthers go on the clock at No. 8.
Depending on which players are still available, Carolina could stay put and draft a player who fills a specific need. Oregon offensive tackle Penei Sewell would be the dream selection for the Panthers, but there’s a good chance he will be taken before the eighth pick. They could also look for a corner or take linebacker Micah Parsons if he’s available; however, depending on how things pan out, they could get the same quality of player a few picks down.
Carolina Panthers could benefit from early QB frenzy.
The Vikings and Patriots hold the 14th and 15th picks, respectively, and the Raiders could be dark horses to trade up from 17th. The Washington Football Team and the Chicago Bears round out the top 20 and could also look to draft their quarterback of the future.
With the hauls we have seen teams take for trading out of the top eight recently, the Panthers could potentially still draft the player they want, all while stockpiling draft picks (higher ones, at that) for the future. So without further ado, here are the top four teams that Carolina could trade back with come draft night.