3 ways the Panthers draft could get impacted by the Falcons at No. 4

Atlanta Selects a QB or allows another team to

The scenario where the Atlanta Falcons select a quarterback at No. 4 cannot be entirely ruled out. Matt Ryan isn’t young, and they would have a prime chance here to draft Justin Fields, Trey Lance, or Mac Jones and have them sit until the former NFL MVP’s time is officially over.

Furthermore, if the Falcons don’t want a quarterback in the first round but are happy to gain more draft picks instead, they could trade down and allow a team such as the New England Patriots to grab a signal-caller.

A trade doesn’t happen here unless it’s for the sake of acquiring a quarterback.

What do the Carolina Panthers do in this scenario? It’s simple, really.

One expects that four out of the five best quarterback prospects in this year’s draft are already gone before the Cincinnati Bengals are up at pick No. 5. So this might see the Panthers will select the best offensive tackle available.

That may be Penei Sewell but is more likely to be Rashawn Slater given that the Oregon standout would be a great fit with the Bengals and possibly other teams that come before Carolina is on the clock.

What about the last remaining quarterback out of the top five?

This might be Mac Jones – although he is the favorite to be chosen by the San Francisco 49ers at No. 3. But it’s unlikely the Panthers are interested enough to acquire him.

If Jones does end up on the Niners, it’s possible that either Justin Fields or Trey Lance will still be available for the Panthers.

Not so fast, though.

In the scenario where the Falcons either select a signal-caller themselves or allow another team to trade up, it’s reasonable to predict that the pressure to acquire anyone who falls will become so great for some teams that one of them will make a trade before the Panthers is up at No. 8.

That’s the key factor here.

The increased pressure brought about by a quarterback being selected at No. 4.

Amidst this chaos, the Panthers will fix their gaze on the offensive tackle position as it is the best way to improve their roster without having the option of snagging Kyle Pitts, Fields, or Lance.

Now onto the final scenario.