Most Panthers fans are hoping the team trades down from the 8th pick. What if they traded up instead?
With the NFL Draft set to take place next month, and the first wave of free agency in the rearview mirror, we have a more firm idea of what each team might be looking for in the first round of the Draft. For example, the Tennessee Titans have not been connected to any of the free agent quarterbacks at any point of the offseason, so the likelihood of them taking Cam Ward with the first overall pick has grown. The Panthers went into free agency with a ton of needs, and only two haven’t been filled: top tier edge rusher and X receiver. This has most pundits agreeing that the Panthers are all but guaranteed to take an edge rusher (or Tet McMillan) with the 8th overall pick.
I agree wholeheartedly with the idea of getting an edge rusher, but there is a clear talent drop off from Penn State’s Abdul Carter to the rest of the edge rushing field. With that in mind, could the Panthers be interested in trading up for the premier rusher in the class? Two years ago, the Houston Texans traded back up into the top three to get Will Anderson Jr after taking CJ Stroud one selection earlier. In that trade, the Texans gave up the 12th overall pick, the 33rd overall pick, and the following year’s first and third round picks to the Cardinals for the 3rd overall pick and the 105th overall pick. I don’t think anyone in Houston is upset by the outcome of that trade.
For the Panthers to move up from 8th to 3rd (or even second to make sure Cleveland doesn’t take Carter), it would likely cost a similar price. The Panthers would likely have to give up the 8th pick, the 57th pick, and next year’s first round pick at minimum. While the value according to most draft pick value charts puts the difference between the 2nd and 8th picks at around 800 points (late first round value), the difference between Abdul Carter and Jalon Walker, Mykel Williams, Mike Green, or Shemar Stewart could be similar. The question the Panthers have to ask themselves is how big a gap do they see between Carter and the rest of the first round pass rushers. For reference, Tyree Wilson and Lucas Van Ness were the next two edge rushers selected in 2023, and Anderson’s production has been worth the investment for Houston.