The Carolina Panthers made waves earlier this week when they acquired the first overall pick in the upcoming NFL draft. But they might not be done dealing, and flipping the pick might be the best option for what the team is trying to accomplish.
The 2022 season wasn’t pretty for the Panthers, but they somehow managed to win seven games and finished just a game back of first place in the NFC South. There is no denying the lack of talent on their roster, though.
Carolina Panthers Should Trade 1st Overall Pick To Fill Out Roster
Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold put up extremely similar statistics in their games played at quarterback, and D’Onta Foreman was the far and away leader of the rushing attack by gaining 914 yards in 17 games.
They traded away the two most dangerous weapons that they had entering last season in Christian McCaffery and DJ Moore, leaving the offense devoid of any real proven talent. The skills players that are under contract with Carolina do anything but jump off of the page.
So with holes to fill all over the roster, how can the Panthers justify traded some of their draft assets in order to move up for the number one pick? Perhaps they never planned on making the pick at all.
Following the trade up for Pick 1, a look at where Carolina’s skill players under contract for 2023 stand:
QB: Matt Corral, Jacob Eason, PJ Walker (RFA)
RB: Chuba Hubbard, Raheem Blackshear
WR: Terrace Marshall, Jr., Laviska Shenault, Shi Smith
TE: Ian Thomas, Tommy Tremble
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) March 11, 2023
The 2023 NFL Draft class promises to be heavy on QB talent at the top, and there are a handful of quarterback-hungry teams that could be willing to trade up for the guy that they like. The Panthers could use their position in the same way that the Bears did before them, trading away the pick in order to rebuild their draft capital, which could be the smartest move given all of the roster issues that they have.
Carolina could stay put, too. When the news broke that they were acquiring the pick from the Bears, Alamaba quarterback Bryce Young fell out of the top spot as the favorite to be the #1 overall pick, with that designation now placed on Ohio State QB CJ Stroud.
If the Carolina Panthers believe that a team like the Texans, Colts, or Raiders is hungry enough to give up assets and move up to the number one spot, then they could use it to their advantage and help build their team more quickly.
NFL Betting Guides You May Like
- Best NFL Betting Sites Sites 2024 – Discover Top-rated Football Sportsbooks Ranked & Reviewed.
- Live Betting NFL Guide – Compare The Best NFL Live Betting Sites for 2024.
- Best NFL Betting Apps 2024 – List of Top Football Betting Apps in US.
- Best Offshore Betting Sites Review – Compare Best Offshore Sports Betting Sites.
- Best Online Gambling Sites 2024 – Best Gambling Sites in USA Ranked & Reviewed.
Add Sportslens to your Google News Feed!
