What did the Carolina Panthers turn down for the No. 8 pick?
By Dean Jones
What did the Carolina Panthers reportedly turn down from the Chicago Bears to move down from No. 8 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft?
There was plenty of intrigue regarding the Carolina Panthers and exactly what they were going to do from the No. 8 overall selection in the 2021 NFL Draft. The team wasn’t ruling out drafting a quarterback if one fell into their laps despite acquiring Sam Darnold via trade from the New York Jets, which was clearly a smokescreen for a team to come in with a substantial offer to move up the draft board.
As expected, Justin Fields slid out of the top-five once the San Francisco 49ers opted to select Trey Lance out of North Dakota State, meaning the Panthers had multiple options available to them in a bid to land a prospect who could assist them greatly moving forward.
Carolina eventually selected promising cornerback Jaycee Horn. We later found out he was No. 1 on their draft board and fills an area of significant need providing the South Carolina product lives up to his billing.
Press coverage was something the Panthers simply couldn’t do without Donte Jackson healthy in 2020. If this trend continued into next season, their chances of securing a surprise playoff berth would diminish significantly.
Trading down would have put Horn and Patrick Surtain out of reach, with the Alabama stud going to the Denver Broncos with the very next pick. The Panthers did receive calls from teams looking for a big move up for Fields, with one in particular reportedly coming with substantial compensation that was tempting, to put it mildly.