The Carolina Panthers have a really distinctive aversion to delaying pleasure. Whether or not it’s their proprietor, David Tepper, who has proven impulsive conduct through the years or the group as an entire, the Panthers have most actually not wished to attend to make use of their NFL Draft picks.
Within the 2024 NFL Draft underneath new normal supervisor Dan Morgan, the Panthers moved down a number of instances to choose up extra draft capital, however that was very a lot out of necessity. Below earlier regimes in 2021, 2022 and 2023, they traded a bunch of their picks for gamers or to maneuver up within the draft.
Within the 2023 draft, they traded a complete of seven draft picks to return away with 5 complete gamers, and solely two are going to be on their 2024 roster.
Within the 2024 draft, they traded six draft picks to return away with 4 complete gamers, and solely two are going to be on their 2024 roster.
If you add within the 2025 decide they traded final 12 months, the Panthers moved 14 draft picks for a complete of simply 4 gamers who will likely be on their 2024 roster; Bryce Younger, DJ Johnson, Xavier Legette, and Diontae Johnson.
Listed here are all of the transactions the place the Panthers used draft picks to commerce up or commerce for a participant for the reason that begin of the 2023 NFL Draft.
2023 NFL Draft
- Traded their first-round (9 total) and second-round (61 total) picks as a part of the package deal to maneuver up and choose QB Bryce Younger first total.
- Traded their third-round choice (79 total) as a part of a 2022 commerce as much as get into the third spherical to pick QB Matt Corral. (He was not on the 2023 roster.)
- Traded third-round (93 total) and fourth-round (132 total) picks to maneuver as much as decide 80 and choose move rusher DJ Johnson.
- Traded sixth-round decide (187 total) in trade for Stephon Gilmore in October 2021. (He was not on the roster in 2022 or 2023.)
- Traded seventh-round decide (226 total) as a part of a package deal to amass WR Laviska Shenault in August 2022.
2024 NFL Draft
- Traded their first-round decide (first total) as a part of the package deal to maneuver up and choose QB Bryce Younger first total in 2023.
- Traded their second-round decide (33 total) and sixth-round decide (200 total) as a part of a package deal to maneuver up one spot to pick WR Xavier Legette.
- Traded their fifth-round choice in trade for QB Baker Mayfield in July 2022. (Mayfield was launched in December 2022.)
- Traded sixth-round decide (177 total) as a part of a package deal to amass WR Laviska Shenault in August 2022.
- Traded sixth-round decide (178 total) as a part of package deal to amass WR Diontae Johnson in March 2024.
2025 NFL Draft
- Traded their second-round decide as a part of the package deal to maneuver up and choose QB Bryce Younger first total in 2023.
It’s fairly straightforward to note that the Panthers have been chasing quarterbacks for a number of years. Buying and selling three picks for Sam Darnold in 2021 earlier than buying and selling for Baker Mayfield, Matt Corral, and at last Bryce Younger haven’t resulted in success (with the caveat that Younger’s story is way from written). To recap, it’s 10 complete draft picks since 2021 for 4 completely different quarterbacks. To compound the matter, the Panthers ended up with the primary total decide in 2024, and would have had their decide of a historic QB class, the place six signal-callers went within the first twelve picks.
DJ Johnson had an underwhelming season after being a third-round decide, adjusting to the NFL in his rookie 12 months. He performed in 13 video games, beginning 3, with 16 tackles and no sacks regardless of enjoying practically one-third of Carolina’s defensive snaps. There’s nothing to say he can’t take an enormous step ahead in Yr 2 and past.
Younger and Johnson are the one two gamers on the checklist of traded-for gamers which have performed for Carolina and are nonetheless going to be on the roster in 2024.
Corral missed his rookie season with a foot harm and was waived previous to the 2023 season. Gilmore solely performed a handful of video games in Carolina earlier than leaving through free company. Shenault signed with the Seattle Seahawks this offseason after 37 catches for 332 yards and 1 landing in two seasons with the Panthers. Mayfield was launched in December 2022 and, after a powerful end to the season with the Rams, joined Carolina’s division rival, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, to be their beginning quarterback following the retirement of Tom Brady. Mayfield simply signed a contract extension in Tampa.
Morgan is a really revered NFL entrance workplace exec, however he has began his tenure together with his arms tied behind his again by former Panthers GM Scott Fitterer and coach Matt Rhule. If Younger hits, it is going to be price it, but when he doesn’t, Carolina will likely be enjoying catch up for a very long time.
