What trading back could look like for the Carolina Panthers in the 2021 NFL draft
Panthers general manager Scott Fitterer made a good point last month at his introductory news conference.
He said having the No. 8 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft gives the Panthers a lot of flexibility. They could trade up in the draft, which would likely require giving up one of their later draft picks, or they could trade back and acquire additional assets.
All of those options remain on the table, including trading the No. 8 pick and others for a franchise-type quarterback.
But for this story’s purpose, let’s explore what trading back could realistically look like.
A trade with Miami?
There are at least 10 teams who could benefit from drafting a quarterback in the 2021 draft.
But the general consensus among draft experts is that in this draft there are only five quarterback worthy of being taken in the first round.
There’s Trevor Lawrence, who will almost certainly be drafted first; Justin Fields and Zach Wilson, who many draft experts go back and forth between; Trey Lance, who is considered a raw player with a high ceiling; and Mac Jones, the former Alabama quarterback, who draft experts say is a first-round pick, but picking him in the top 10 would be a reach.
Say the Panthers can’t get one of the top four quarterbacks, and hypothetically, liked what they saw in Jones. They could try to trade back in the draft, possibly get Jones and acquire additional assets.
Among the teams that could benefit from a new quarterback is Washington, which owns the 19th pick and Chicago, which owns the 20th pick. So the Panthers would need to get ahead of both teams.
An attractive trade partner in that scenario is the Miami Dolphins, who own the third pick, the 18th pick, the 36th and the 50th pick in the 2021 draft.
The Panthers could offer their No. 8 pick to the Dolphins for the 18th pick and either the Dolphins’ 36th or 50th pick.
A similar trade was made in 2017, when the Buffalo Bills traded their 10th pick to Kansas City in exchange for the 22nd overall pick, the 24th pick and the 91st pick. Kansas City needed a quarterback and took Patrick Mahomes.
While the Dolphins don’t necessarily need a quarterback in this draft, they have been among a list of teams expected to draw interest from the Texans in a potential trade for Deshaun Watson.
And owning both the third and eighth overall pick in the same draft would make the trade more attractive for the Texans.
The Panthers could then pick Jones at No. 18 as well as acquire at least one additional pick, and possibly more to address other needs they have.
The issue is the Dolphins already have the most attractive trade assets among teams in the league, and they may not want to make that trade.
Another road block is New England, which has the No. 15 pick, and also needs a quarterback. ESPN’s Mel Kiper’s mock draft has the Patriots drafting Jones with the 15th pick. Joe Marino, of the Draft Network, also has New England taking Jones.
What about New York
Like Miami, the New York Jets also have been on a list of potential trade destinations for Watson, and acquiring additional assets can only help in a potential trade for Watson.
The Jets own the second pick in the draft, the 23rd pick, the 34th pick, which is in the second round, and the 66th pick, which is in the third round.
The Panthers could offer their eighth pick for the Jets’ 23rd pick, their 34th pick and a future pick or two. Again, that gives the Panthers an opportunity to continue building and address the multiple needs they have.
Remember, quarterback isn’t the Panthers’ only concern. The Panthers also need a pass-catching tight end, an offensive tackle, offensive guards, a defensive tackle, a linebacker and a cornerback.
In 2011, the Cleveland Browns held the No. 6 overall pick and traded it to the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for their 26th pick, 59th pick, a fourth-round pick, and a future first-round pick and future fourth.
The Jets don’t necessarily have much incentive to make a trade like that for the No. 8 pick, unless they are intent on trading for Watson.
If Jones is not the answer ...
Say, hypothetically, the Panthers aren’t sold on Jones and decide to instead address other needs before quarterback this year, like an offensive tackle.
The Panthers could trade with Washington, which is also in the market for a quarterback, and would likely want to get ahead of New England’s 15th pick.
The Panthers could offer the eighth overall pick for Washington’s 19th pick, their 51st pick and their 2022 first-rounder.
They could use the 19th pick to perhaps select offensive tackle Tevin Jenkins, who at 6-foot-6 and 310 pounds played both tackle spots at Oklahoma State, which is among the Panthers’ top priorities.
Kiper projects Jenkins to go No. 20 overall to the Chicago Bears.
The 2022 first-round pick the Panthers would receive from Washington could be packaged with their own 2022 first-round pick to acquire a better draft pick in 2022.
The Panthers could possibly use that pick on quarterback in the 2022 NFL draft.
While 2022 is a year away, and a lot can happen between now and then, and hypothetically, if the Panthers do end up trading back in the draft this season, the No. 8 pick gives them flexibility.
