Panthers mailbag: What if Carolina can’t trade back in first round of 2025 NFL Draft?
The NFL Draft is just over a week away, and given the excitement surrounding the Carolina Panthers’ eighth overall pick, it’s natural that fans would be curious about the selection process and its impact on the 2025 offseason.
That’s why The Observer has brought back the Panthers mailbag to answer a few notable questions from social media.
Carolina Panthers: Draft approach if a trade back isn’t available
Tony asks: What do you feel should be our approach to the eighth pick if we can’t trade back when it’s our pick?
This is a question worth pondering in regard to organizational philosophy and positional-value integrity.
While some would simply say, “Take the best player available on your board,” certain positions are weighed heavier than others, both from an impact standpoint and a financial standpoint. The Panthers aren’t going to spend the No. 8 pick on a QB, so the next few premium positions are outside linebacker/defensive end, offensive tackle, defensive tackle, cornerback and wide receiver.
Of those positions, outside linebacker/defensive end and wide receiver feel like forefront needs. Cornerback and offensive tackle could be looked at as long-term needs, given Mike Jackson, Ikem Ekwonu and Taylor Moton’s respective contract situations. Defensive tackle, though, is a philosophical “can never have enough” position, both for the franchise and the defensive scheme. This unit has some really intriguing new pieces from free agency, but it’s going to take more work to repair the worst scoring defense in NFL history (granted they were dealing with a 17-game schedule compared to a 16-game workload).
In this beat writer’s opinion, the Panthers — if they don’t love anyone at No. 8 and can’t find a trade partner to move back — should take the highest-rated remaining pass rusher on their board. When top-tier edge rushers are making more than $30 million per year, it’s good to have a cost-controlled standout for three-to-four years.
Yes, the perception of reaching will be apparent if the Panthers take an edge rusher who isn’t valued that high by the public consensus. But if a trade back isn’t possible, the team should find the best fit and best talent for the franchise.
Someone like Boston College defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku makes sense in that scenario. His athletic numbers are off the charts, particularly his elite 6.94-second 3-cone drill, and he produced 16.5 sacks last season. He reminds this scribe of former Seattle Seahawks defensive end Cliff Avril, who played for the NFC West franchise when Panthers GM Dan Morgan and head coach Dave Canales were there.
Otherwise, they can try to upgrade the offense with a playmaker like Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan or Texas’s Matthew Golden at wide receiver. To do that, though, the Panthers need to be convinced that playmaker is more than just a role player and can truly elevate the offense within Canales’ scheme. It’s hard to gauge the franchise’s feelings on either right now.
Offense in the first round
Will asks: If Carolina goes offense with first pick do you think it is more likely they go with Penn State TE Tyler Warren because he may have a higher overall grade or Golden because he has a higher positional value and meets greater need?
While it’s highly likely the Panthers select a tight end in next week’s draft, a first-round pick for the position would probably be too rich.
Warren is a special talent at a non-premium position. If the Panthers are calculated in their approach to positional value and draft positioning, it’d be a hard sell to take the Penn State playmaker at No. 8. Though, it wouldn’t be shocking to see another team take Warren before the Panthers even get to pick. Some teams have different philosophies that favor non-premium positions.
Golden, while highly valued by this beat writer, feels like more of a trade-back option than a No. 8 pick. That said, as mentioned earlier, if the Panthers can’t find a trade partner, they should just try to claim the best player for them. Perhaps Golden is that guy. Perhaps McMillan is that guy. Heck, what if they really like Missouri wideout Luther Burden?
The expectation here is that the team will lean heavily on defense in this draft, but no one should bat an eye at the Panthers if they add a playmaker as early as No. 8. Still, it’s hard to decipher who that playmaker would be, despite the public discourse around McMillan and others.
A possible swerve on Day 1 of the draft
Tommi asks: With the money we are paying our guards and the money we’re gonna have to pay Ickey (Ewkonu) and (Taylor) Moton’s contract being up next year, what are the chances that a 1st round right tackle is on their mind?
The Panthers are seemingly keeping their options open at offensive tackle heading into the draft.
While they have two proven starters in place — Ekwonu and Moton — both could be out of here in 2026 if the Panthers decide not to pick up Ekwonu’s fifth-year option or sign him to a contract extension. Moton is going to play out the final year of his contract, and while that might seem odd, the Panthers could always look to re-sign him next offseason if all goes well.
The fluidity here gives the Panthers options. They don’t need to pick up Ekwonu’s fifth-year option until May 1, which is a few days after the draft. So, in theory, the way the Panthers operate next week could have an impact on Ekwonu’s future, with his option or even a potential extension. Top-tier offensive tackles are typically picked higher in the draft, and the veteran contracts for the premium players at the position are ranging around $25 million per year. If the Panthers don’t want to pay Ekwonu (and/or Moton) that type of money, it might make sense to jump at a premium prospect at offensive tackle.
LSU’s Will Campbell, Missouri’s Armand Membou, Ohio State’s Josh Simmons and Texas’s Kelvin Banks Jr. are all in the discussion to be selected in the top 20 picks. Campbell, in this beat writer’s opinion, will go much higher than No. 8. But if Membou is there for the Panthers, and they can’t find a trade partner, could they be a match? Certainly, even if it will probably irritate onlookers and fans.
Good teams make mature short-term and long-term choices. Those decisions don’t always work out, but backstopping yourself financially, and from a depth standpoint, is ideal. Offensive tackle shouldn’t be on the Panthers’ immediate bingo card, but if the board falls a certain way and Carolina can’t get out of the pick, they need to make a measured decision that benefits them with minimal risk. That could mean spending No. 8 on a blocker.
For what it’s worth, run game coordinator Harold Goodwin and offensive line coach Joe Gilbert deserve a lot of credit for last year’s OL revival. If they love an offensive lineman, their opinions should carry notable weight. Even if the Panthers pass on the position in the first round, it wouldn’t be shocking for them to select a blocker on Day 2.
Free agency: Biggest impact among the new guys
Dan asks: Which new free agent signing do you predict will make the biggest impact next season?
Without a second thought: safety Tre’von Moehrig.
The Panthers desperately needed a hard-hitting, technique-driven run-stopper on the back end, and Moehrig is that and more. It wouldn’t be shocking if he never left the field this season, barring injury or blowout. He is an enforcer of sorts, and while you probably don’t want him lingering as a post safety often, he can make plays on the ball and impact the passing game as well.
Moehrig was the most logical signing of the free-agent class. He fits a notable need, he upgrades an entire position, and he’s young enough that he has upside to explore. While the platoon additions of Bobby Brown, Tershawn Wharton and Patrick Jones are intriguing, Moehrig — along with cornerback Jaycee Horn — will own the secondary for years to come.
The Panthers have a multi-pronged plan for the new top safety, and that should be pretty evident early in training camp.
The NFC South pecking order
Alan asks: Hey Mike, I have seen several (national) publication articles lately that are along the lines of, “….the team still has holes all over the roster,” and “we’re in year 2 of a 3 year rebuild.” Do you agree, and depth-wise (currently) how do you feel the Carolina roster compares to our competitors in the NFC South?
While I don’t make it a habit of agreeing with national talking heads, those specific quotes are on point. This is Year 2 of a three-year rebuild in my estimation as well, and that has more to do with the inherited salary cap situation than anything else. The Panthers want to compete long term, so they are going through a calculated improvement plan at their own pace.
That said, the Panthers need to compete this year. This campaign can’t feel like it’s over in the first month like it has over the past five years. But in order to have long-term success, the front office has to manage the roster with a long-term process. They took a strategic turn at the offense last year, they’ve taken a similar approach on defense this year, and 2026 will be about servicing the entire roster with a significant core in place.
The New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons, as of now, seem to be on par with Ren and Stimpy this offseason. Could they vastly improve with a strong draft? Absolutely, but so far, I’m unimpressed by their whimsical approaches to the salary cap and free agency (and veteran QBs).
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, though, are a legitimate problem, and the Panthers are still seemingly behind them when it comes to the NFC South totem pole. It feels like the Panthers are handling themselves relatively well, but they are also still trying to get out of the late-night cartoon pool that the Saints and Falcons are waddling in.
This is the Buccaneers’ division until further notice, but the Panthers have a clear antagonist worth chasing in their endeavors this offseason.
This story was originally published April 16, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
