The Panthers ended their 2020 season with a loss against the Saints on Sunday. It didn’t do much to improve their position in the draft, though. Carolina’s defeat only bumped them up one spot.
Here is the updated 2021 NFL draft order from Tankathon now that the regular season is over.
1. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-15)
2. New York Jets (2-14)
3. Miami Dolphins (via 4-12 Houston Texans)
4. Atlanta Falcons (4-12)
5. Cincinnati Bengals (4-11-1)
6. Philadelphia Eagles (4-11-1)
7. Detroit Lions (5-11)
8. Carolina Panthers (5-11)
9. Denver Broncos (5-11)
10. Dallas Cowboys (6-10)
11. New York Giants (6-10)
12. San Francisco 49ers (6-10)
13. Los Angeles Chargers (7-9)
14. Minnesota Vikings (7-9)
15. New England Patriots (7-9)
16. Arizona Cardinals (8-8)
17. Las Vegas Raiders (8-8)
18. Miami Dolphins (10-6)
— Playoff teams —
19. Washington Football Team (7-9)
20. Chicago Bears (8-8)
21. Jacksonville Jaguars (via 10-6 LA Rams)
22. Indianapolis Colts (11-5)
23. Cleveland Browns (11-5)
24. Tennessee Titans (11-5)
25. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (11-5)
26. Baltimore Ravens (11-5)
27. New York Jets (via 12-4 Seattle Seahawks)
28. Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4)
29. New Orleans Saints (12-4)
30. Buffalo Bills (13-3)
31. Green Bay Packers (13-3)
32. Kansas City Chiefs (14-2)
The Panthers got a pretty good No. 8 pick a few years ago. That said, it’s not an ideal spot when you need a franchise quarterback. Teddy Bridgewater’s struggles against New Orleans put a spotlight on his limitations once again. He’s a class act and answered some tough questions like a professional after the loss, but being the best backup quarterback in the league might just be his ceiling. Bridgewater’s contract guarantees he’ll be around next year no matter what. However, Carolina has to start searching for a new QB1 immediately and the QB2-situation makes it all the more urgent.
Trevor Lawrence was never a realistic possibility. Our outside hope was that Justin Fields would somehow land in their laps but his six-touchdown performance against Clemson makes that just about as unlikely as Lawrence. Those two will likely go to the Jaguars and Jets, respectively. The Falcons and the Lions are also potential QB picks, which could put both Zach Wilson and Trey Lance out of reach, as well.
Then again, funny business happens in the NFL draft every year and it’s always possible one of them falls. Teams have also been known to occasionally find gems in the later rounds, like Russell Wilson going in round three or Tom Brady in the sixth. Those are exceptions to the rule, though and finding talents like that is never easy no matter where you’re picking.
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