Carolina Panthers – Pick No. 7
Ravens receive: No. 7, No. 221
Panthers receive: No. 28, No. 55, No. 60, No. 92, No. 134, No. 170
Likely target: LB Isaiah Simmons
The Panthers have gutted their entire roster this offseason and are looking like they’re doing a hard reset on rebuilding for the future. While a top-10 pick is usually a sure-fire way of finding a great talent, Carolina might be more interested in moving back to get a bunch of really great players for their rebuild. In that case, Baltimore could come calling and offer up quite the haul in return.
If the Ravens are moving into the top-10, it’s because they think a generational talent is there and fits one of their top needs. That would be the case with Simmons, who should be gone well before the Panthers even get on the board. But with so many teams needing a new franchise quarterback and there potentially being an early run on wide receivers, Simmons could just as easily begin to fall.
If he makes it to No. 7, Baltimore general manager Eric DeCosta could decide to pull the trigger on a blockbuster of a trade. While not really the Ravens’ style to trade up at all, much less this much, DeCosta has proven he’s a little more aggressive at times than former general manager Ozzie Newsome.
Still, by giving up both their second-round picks and their top third-round pick, Baltimore wouldn’t be on the clock again until the last pick No. 106. DeCosta would have to feel Simmons is at least a Pro Bowl caliber player, if not a Hall of Famer in the making, to spend so many of their picks to move up this far.