2021 NFL draft: 3 trade up, 2 trade down scenarios for the Carolina Panthers in round one
After Teddy Bridgewater’s rough 2020 season, the Carolina Panthers have been involved in trade discussions to upgrade at quarterback seemingly every week. That market is extremely active right now, with several starters already having been dealt, including Matt Stafford to the Rams, Jared Goff to the Lions and Carson Wentz to the Colts.
Carolina is still reported to be very-much interested in Texans star Deshaun Watson, but a more likely path to upgrading at QB will come via a trade in the draft. Here are three trade up and two trade down scenarios for the Panthers involving their No. 8 overall pick.
The impossible dream: Trading up for Trevor Lawrence
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Panthers receive: First overall pick in 2021, select Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence Jaguars receive: 2021, 2022, and 2023 first round picks, 2021 second rounder, 2022 third rounder, and 2023 fourth rounder Let’s get this one straight Panthers fans – this is highly unlikely to happen. You may be wondering why they'd need to give up so much just to move up seven spots. The answer is simple: Trevor Lawrence is worth it. When your organization is desperate for a franchise quarterback with the No. 1 pick and the consensus favorite pick might be one of the greatest quarterback prospects we have ever seen, you do not trade out of that spot. The Jaguars would be crazy to deal this pick and would need an enormous haul to part ways with it. However, if the Panthers did sell the farm and make the jump up to first overall, it would pay immediate dividends. Lawrence would have about as easy of a transition as possible with one of the best running backs in the NFL and an electric trio of receivers to open up the field for him. It would be a real concern giving up this much capital just to get one player, but Lawrence has legitimate All-Pro potential and could be worth the risk. When it is all said and done though, there is virtually no chance of this scenario happening.
The next Cam Newton? Moving up for Justin Fields
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Panthers receive: Second overall pick in 2021, select Ohio State QB Justin Fields Jets receive: 2021 and 2022 first round picks, a 2021 second rounder and 2022 fourth rounder The Jets have quite a dilemma here with the No. 2 pick. Some think them taking a quarterback is a given, but there is a legitimate chance they stick with Sam Darnold and trade down to acquire more roster talent. Let’s not forget that Adam Gase, one of the worst head coaches the NFL has seen in recent memory, ran the show in New York and never gave Darnold a fair chance to thrive. New coach Robert Saleh has also expressed his viewpoint on Darnold, calling him an “unbelievable talent”. If Saleh does indeed feel this way about Darnold, there's no reason for the Jets to pick at 2 - the quarterback market is simply too hot. This scenario would be a win-win for both teams. The Panthers will have to offer an enticing bundle of picks, but would finally get their franchise quarterback at a reasonable price. They reportedly "love" Justin Fields. The Jets would be acquiring three future picks while only moving down six spots to help rebuild their roster and give Darnold some weapons to work with. Meanwhile, Fields is a true dual-threat quarterback that would fit like a glove into Carolina's offense. He is tremendous at extending outside the pocket and making big plays happen with both his arm and legs. It feels like the Panthers have been in an offensive rut the past few years where it is extremely rare to see them hit on a big play, let alone take a deep shot. If Fields is the pick here, that will change in a heartbeat.
QB3: Make a deal to get Zach Wilson
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Panthers receive: Third overall pick, select BYU QB Zach Wilson Dolphins receive: 2021 and 2022 first round picks, 2021 third rounder The Dolphins are the favorite to land Deshaun Watson due to their insane amount of trade ammunition and draft capital. If they do, New York would almost certainly be shipping this pick and Tua Tagovailoa to Houston, making this scenario meaningless. However, Watson is still technically not on the trade block and therefore unlikely to be dealt. If this is the case, Miami could be a trade down candidate at a bit of a cheaper rate for Carolina. Wilson is a tremendous player with special arm talent. He has a high football IQ, he can extend outside the pocket and has incredible ball placement on all types of throws. He would be a fantastic fit in Joe Brady’s offense and give Carolina their quarterback of the future. For this scenario to happen New York will have to refuse to give up the No. 2 pick and Miami will have to stay put with Tua as their quarterback. As we all know at this point, owner David Tepper is a go-getter that likes to be aggressive. If both second and third overall picks are up for grabs, there is no way he settles with the latter. This scenario is a distinct possibility, but there are a lot of moving parts involved.
Trade down: More picks, Mac Jones
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Panthers receive: 2021 (15 overall) first round pick and 2021 second round pick (46 overall), select Alabama QB Mac Jones with 15th overall pick Patriots receive: Eighth overall pick in 2021 The Cam Newton experiment in New England did not go well. Bill Belichick will likely be shopping for a new franchise QB this offseason and his list is shrinking by the day. Watson, Darnold and Jimmy Garoppolo make up the best options at quarterback that are still on the trade market. But to be fair, we can’t really see Belichick pulling the trigger on any one of these options. At Senior Bowl week, Matt Rhule was supposedly impressed by Jones in his time spent coaching him. If the Panthers are unable to trade up for Fields or Wilson in the top three, or are unsure about Trey Lance at eight, they should trade down to a reasonable spot here to gather more capital. Jones does possess some quality traits that can go a long ways in the NFL, and with that extra second round pick they can get a quality offensive tackle or guard that can serve as an immediate upgrade to protect him.
Stick with Teddy Bridgewater, address the offensive line
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Panthers receive: 2021 (19 overall) and 2022 first round picks and a fifth rounder (164 overall) in 2021, select USC IOL Alijah Vera – Tucker with 19th overall pick WFT receive: Eighth overall pick in 2021 Carolina fans have to be amused with Washington right now thinking they have a “franchise QB” in Taylor Heinicke. He is a quality backup with good mobility and tremendous competitiveness, but lacks arm strength and playmaking ability. In fact, WFT might be the NFL's most QB-needy team. Ron Rivera's roster - especially his defense - is infused with young talent and they need to capitalize on the current window in a weak NFC East. After all, they made the playoffs and gave the Bucs a run for their money with Heinicke. This would be a perfect trade-up scenario for them. Although it's a slim chance, there is a possibility that the Panthers stick with Teddy Bridgewater at quarterback. If they do this, they will need to trade back to acquire more talent. This class is loaded at important positions, and if Carolina can get a haul like this to trade back 11 spots they should go for it. Even by trading down to 19, they still can get a Pro Bowl caliber offensive lineman that can contribute right away and help keep Teddy upright. [vertical-gallery id=633753]
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