We know the Panthers could trade down from the No. 8 overall spot. General manager Scott Fitterer and head coach Matt Rhule admitted as much in their pre-draft press conference last week. It also fits perfectly with the philosophy of the Seahawks front office Fitterer is coming from.
What about a move up, though?
According to a report by Ian Rapoport at NFL Network, the Panthers are making calls about trading up as well as down from No. 8.
An example of why this is a wild time: The #Panthers are sitting at No. 8 and have made calls about possibly trading back… and up. Could they move up to No. 4? Or 6? They are exploring.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 29, 2021
There are a lot of prospects Carolina could target if they trade down into the teens. If they’re moving up, it’s obviously with a quarterback in mind. Unless this entire offseason has been one epic string of misdirection and misinformation, Justin Fields is likely the target.
Buckle up. The 2021 NFL draft begins in five minutes.
