Carolina Panthers 2022 NFL mock draft with major first-round trade

Carolina Panthers pick No. 191: Trey McBride – TE (Colorado State)

Whether Dan Arnold is the long-term successor to Greg Olsen remains to be seen. It was a disappointing first outing for the tight end in terms of involvement, which will hopefully increase as the season goes on.

Ian Thomas is out of contract next spring and it would be a massive surprise to see him come back. Much will also depend on whether rookie Tommy Tremble emerges as a blocking force into the complete package with more development.

It doesn’t appear as if Colin Thompson is ever going to be a productive pass-catching tight end. So the Carolina Panthers might want to look at the latest batch of college recruits and see if they can find a diamond in the rough.

Trey McBride is a name to monitor. The Colorado State prospect has a ton of upside in both the passing game and as a run blocker, which comes as a result of deceptive speed and an aggressive approach to almost every down.

While McBride would never be described as having the mismatch potential of a Kyle Pitts, his ball skills are serviceable and there might be much more to come providing his athleticism doesn’t hamper his overall progress.

The Panthers wouldn’t need that much from McBride right away, which would be a good thing for the player during his transition.