Dan Morgan has nine 2025 NFL Draft selections at his disposal. The Carolina Panthers are in a profitable position to strengthen the ranks and play the board effectively. This could even involve trading down for additional assets if the right opportunity comes along.
This isn't perceived as the best quarterback class compared to previous years. That's bad news for Morgan if he wants to get a king's ransom for someone who falls out of the top five. Nothing could be completely dismissed, but it would be surprising if Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders — the consensus top-two signal-callers emerging from the college ranks this spring — weren't gone before Carolina went on the clock.
That doesn't mean something couldn't be worked out. And one analyst tabbed the Dallas Cowboys as a team that might be looking to make a daring move up the pecking order for a potentially generational prospect.
Carolina Panthers projected to trade down with Cowboys in 2025 NFL mock draft scenario
Lou Scataglia from NFL Spin Zone projected the Panthers to trade back with the Cowboys in his latest mock draft. The full compensation details weren't given, but the prize Dallas had in mind was running back phenom Ashton Jeanty, despite signing Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders in free agency.
That left the Panthers with the No. 12 overall selection. They used it on Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan to give quarterback Bryce Young another prolific weapon in the passing game.
"With the Dallas Cowboys trading up to pick eight, the Carolina Panthers settle in with the 12th pick, and they are still able to land who many think is the top WR prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft in Tetairoa McMillan from Arizona. I have seen some people say that McMillan is reliant too much on his physical profile to win on routes and that his route-running simply isn’t all that good, but I have also seen other people say that this is a top-notch wide receiver prospect. The Panthers take a chance on McMillan, potentially giving Bryce Young an alpha WR1 for the long term. If Young can’t hit his stride in 2025, it would not shock me to see the Panthers going in a different direction at the quarterback position."Lou Scataglia
This is a deep draft class for defensive linemen and edge rushers. If Morgan gets the chance to recoup another Day 2 pick and more from a willing trade-down partner, that provides the Panthers with enough flexibility to select McMillan, who's widely regarded as the best wide receiver in this group despite questions about his 40-yard dash time.
The Panthers did nothing to help Young this offseason aside from retaining their core offensive linemen and signing running back Rico Dowdle. He needs a legitimate game-changing presence — someone capable of striking fear into opposing defenses every time they step onto the field. McMillan has those traits, but there's a growing sense that the wide receivers could fall further than anticipated.
It's speculation season with smoke and mirrors everywhere. Morgan will have a plan for every eventuality and has genuine conviction in the evaluations of his front-office staff. If he believes trading down can help his roster regeneration, he won't hesitate to pull the trigger.
Time will tell on that. But fortunately for fans, there is just under a month to wait for official developments.