What Sam Darnold's trade to the Panthers means for the NFL Draft
The Panthers haven’t exactly been quiet about their desire to upgrade their quarterback position, finally striking a move by trading multiple picks, including a 2022 second round pick, for Jets quarterback Sam Darnold.
Carolina struck out on Matthew Stafford and Carson Wentz. Deshaun Watson isn’t a viable trade option anymore as he deals with a growing number of sexual assault lawsuits. The 49ers blocked them out of the top of the draft when they traded up to third overall and trading with the Falcons was a no-go. So they just ended up on Darnold as a last resort.
Time will tell if Darnold ends up being a competent player for the Panthers, but it does decrease the chance that the Panthers select a quarterback with the eighth overall pick in the draft. Right now, there are five quarterbacks projected to go in the first round with potentially four quarterbacks in a row to start the draft.
The Panthers might not have a great quarterback prospect available for them at eight and with Darnold in the fold, it dropped the chances that they’ll take a quarterback early in the first round. Not only did they trade a second round pick for Darnold, they also picked up his fifth year option worth $18.9 million.
That’s going to lock Darnold into at least one of the quarterback positions for two years. Considering that they’ve taken a cleaver to Teddy Bridgewater’s stock by trading for Darnold, they might struggle to find a trade partner for him until after the draft.
Perhaps the Panthers made this trade because they were worried about the availability of any quarterback at eighth overall. It’s hard to ignore the resources they just put into making Sam Darnold happen, so there must be a belief that Darnold has a chance to be the guy in Carolina.
That’s a difficult proposition because Darnold has been consistently inconsistent in his career, but he is in a better situation than he was in Carolina. D.J. Moore, Christian McCaffrey, and being reunited with Robby Anderson are far better than what he was dealing with a year ago. If Joe Brady is as good as a playcaller as people believe, then this could be a career year for Darnold.
It would make sense for the Panthers to draft someone early to help Darnold out. Assuming the run on quarterbacks does happen, the Panthers will have a chance to draft an elite offensive prospect eighth overall. Adding Kyle Pitts or Penei Sewell to that supporting cast would give Darnold a chance for success and cut down on his potential excuses if he fails.
The quarterback dominoes are falling in place.