The Carolina Panthers need more picks if they’re going to climb out of the hole they find themselves in going into the 2020 NFL draft. With so many weak roster spots to improve, they’ll have to trade down to collect more capital at some point if they hope to address them all.
Here are three trade-down scenarios that make sense for Carolina, one for each day of the draft.
Day 1: Panthers trade No. 7 pick to Broncos for No. 15, No. 46, No. 77 and No. 178 picks
No. 15 – CJ Henderson, CB, Florida
In this scenario, Ohio State’s Jeff Okudah is off the board early, so the Panthers decide to move down and take a crack at the next-best cornerback in this draft class. Henderson is an excellent man cover corner with elite athleticism and should continue improving at the next level. He will need to work on his tackling, though.
No. 46 – Justin Madubuike, DT, Texas A&M
After losing Gerald McCoy and Dontari Poe to free agency, Carolina needs to reload the interior of the defensive line. Madubuike (6-foot-3, 304 pounds) is more than just a space-eater. He will also draw double teams as a pass rusher. Over the last two seasons, he totaled 11 sacks and 22.5 tackles for a loss.
No. 77 – Logan Wilson, S/LB, Wyoming
Wilson is one of this year’s most underrated defensive prospects and he has the ability to do a little bit of everything. Last year, he posted four interceptions, 8.5 tackles for a loss, seven pass breakups and a sack. Wilson’s ability to play safety or linebacker helps two areas of need for a defense that will need hybrid players.
No. 178 – Myles Dorn, S, UNC
Dorn (6-foot-2, 205 pounds) is a developmental defensive back who would provide some much-needed depth at the safety position behind Tre Boston and Juston Burris. On top of solid ball skills (six career interceptions) Dorn is a solid tackler (10.5 tackles for a loss).