Whether you’re a fan of the Carolina Panthers or one of the NFL’s 31 teams, you’re probably guilty of having advocated for a draft-day trade-down once or twice in your online lifetime.
Come on, admit it. We’ve seen you down in the replies and the comment sections over the years.
Well, we’re here to tell you that you’re not alone nor are you necessarily wrong. Why not be in on every deal and see how many additional assets you can pick up?
Plus, it’s a strategy the Panthers and trigger-happy general manager Scott Fitterer may be particularly keen on this spring. Without a surefire quarterback prospect available to them atop the class, wiggling down from the sixth overall pick could help them recoup some second and third-round ammo—which they’re currently void of thanks to the trades for Sam Darnold and cornerback CJ Henderson.
But hold your horses for just a second. Trevor Sikkema of Pro Football Focus has just written up three possible 2022 draft moves he’d hate to see, and provides some solid logic as to why the Panthers should stand pat to finally address one of their two longstanding needs.
“Given the massive gap between No. 6 and No. 137, one would think a trade down would be smart for the Panthers, but I would disagree,” Sikkema wrote. “I believe they have to go offensive line or quarterback in the top six. So if they’re not in on the quarterback class, it has got to be offensive line.
“Carolina’s failure to draft or quarterback to give them hope beyond Darnold or any of the three top offensive tackles in Evan Neal, Charles Cross or Ikem Ekwonu would likely constitute an offseason failure.”
Although the lack of stability under center has doomed the team for the past handful of seasons, their lack of stability on the blindside has haunted them for nearly a decade. That could likely be solved by sticking at No. 6 and scooping up one of the three potential pillars in Neal, Cross or Ekwonu.
Again, taking on additional selections—especially in Carolina’s case—should be more than welcome. Is it, however, worth passing up on a promising solution at a premium position?
Come April 28, we shall see. We’ll also see if Fitterer, unlike in the following clip, can sit tight.
This man is trading back lol. He even leaned back when asked the question lmfao pic.twitter.com/atNCoKGOsg
— The 4 Man Rush (@4ourmanrush) April 8, 2022
