4 intriguing options if the Panthers land a top-5 draft pick in 2022
By Dean Jones
Carolina Panthers trade down for a king’s ransom
Trades for Sam Darnold and CJ Henderson mean the Carolina Panthers are currently without a Day 2 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Not exactly the most ideal situation for a team with multiple holes in key positional groups.
If things continue in a similar fashion down the stretch and the Panthers get themselves a top-five pick as a result, then that means they’ll also be giving away a top-37 selection to the New York Jets as part of the Darnold deal.
An absolute disaster whichever way one looks at it.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing to have, obviously. Carolina cannot do anything about the past, but it still holds plenty of cards when it comes to its future.
A top-five pick is always highly sought after for anyone looking to move up for a prospect. Providing there is sufficient interest in a quarterback or someone else, then the Panthers could trade down for additional draft capital and still take a promising player later in the first round.
This is all dependent on how the board plays out initially and whether Carolina receives the right sort of offer. But this should be strongly considered and something Scott Fitterer might be aggressive about when the Panthers are on the clock.