Projecting what could happen before the Panthers pick at No. 6 – 2.0

New Orleans Saints select Malik Willis

• Quarterback | Liberty

This is the wildcard.

The big move that many anticipate after Malik Willis took the evaluation process by storm.

Willis has all the elite traits that teams normally covet heavily. The Carolina Panthers have taken a keen interest in the Liberty product throughout their assessments, but in this scenario they are denied the chance to take him after the New Orleans Saints strike a deal with the New York Giants.

New Orleans re-signed Jameis Winston and brought in Andy Dalton to be the backup. Willis could still be acquired as a development project to start in 2023 and there would be absolutely no pressure on the player to make an instant contribution.

The Saints got temselves two first-round picks recently by trading with the Philadelphia Eagles. Although this could be for additional pieces to boost problem areas of their depth chart, they might have something else up their sleeve with two dvisional rivals occupying positions in the top-10.

This also represents good value for the Giants, who select again at No. 7 and could still get their prospect of choice even by trading back for more selections. It might seem like a blow to the Panthers, but it could also work out in their favor.