The Panthers have not been the same organization since their Super Bowl loss in 2015. They have consistently picked around the middle of the first half of the draft order, bringing in guys like Jaycee Horn, Derrick Brown, Brian Burns, and Christian McCaffery. This year they made some big moves in hopes of not being in the same position, beginning with bringing Baker Mayfield in as the starting quarterback (QB), a failed experiment. The Panthers also moved on from former top-10 pick Christian McCaffery. It was a bittersweet splitting of the two. McCaffery had his highs and lows with the Panthers. When on the field, he was one of, if not the best, running backs (RB) in the league. However, injuries sidelined him more times than not. He was traded to the 49ers and ended his year making it to the NFC Championship.
As crazy as it may seem, the Panthers played better without McCaffery. This success is a bright spot for a team in a division that has been blown wide open with the retirement of Tom Brady. The Panthers are in a prime position to move into being the best team in their division.
This Panthers team has few needs. While the defense has studs everywhere, the cornerback position has a glaring weakness. Jaycee Horn needs a running mate, and a free agent like Marcus Peters would be an excellent addition. This Panthers defense will be scary with Horn and Peters on the outside and Derrick Brown/Brian Burns on the inside.
On the offensive side, the receiver room has plenty of promise. D.J. Moore picked things up to end the year. Another year of development for Terrace Marshall and the sneakiness of Lavishka Shenault could come together to produce a decent group of wide receivers. It would still benefit the Panthers to grab more depth at this position later in the draft. Along with the receiving core, the offensive line is above average and ready for another year of Ikem Ekwonu.
The offense desperately needs improvement at QB, RB, and tight end (TE). The Panthers have four picks in the top 100 and can address all offensive needs with these picks. The first pick will need to be a quarterback. The perfect match for this team is Anthony Richardson, who looks like Cam Newton with a better arm. However, this team is in line to win their division now. Meaning that C.J. Stroud will be their QB1 going into the draft, and he is the prospect who could contribute the most in the near term should they land him. The Panthers might have to package some of their picks to move up for Stroud. This move would be well worth it, depending on how much the Panthers give up. Suppose the Panthers can move up while only trading picks for next year’s draft; this would allow the team to get their future QB and keep him in a position to compete in year one.
With their second-round picks, the Panthers should do one of two things. The first option is to package these two picks, move back into the first round, and draft Bijan Robinson. The acquisitions of these young guys would give the Panthers three pieces on offense to build around. The second option is to keep both second-rounders and use them on a second-tier RB and a TE. A combination of Sean Tucker and Luke Musgrave would be in play if this were the direction the Panthers decided to go. They could then use the rest of their draft capital to add depth to the defense and try to strike gold with a late-round receiver.
The best-case scenario for the Panthers is signing a solid-proven corner in free agency, drafting C.J. Stroud or Anthony Richardson with their first pick, and then moving back into the first round to grab Bijian Robinson. Not only would this move the Panthers to a position to battle for a division title, but it would also set up their future beautifully.