Jets trading QB Sam Darnold to Panthers for three draft picks

The Panthers are acquiring Sam Darnold from the Jets in exchange for three draft picks.

The New York Jets are trading quarterback Sam Darnold to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for a sixth-round pick in the 2021 NFL draft, as well as second- and fourth-round picks in 2022. The trade was first reported by Adam Schefter of ESPN.

Holding the No. 2 overall pick this year, it always seemed likely that the Jets would take a quarterback. Now, it’s just about a certainty. Zach Wilson out of BYU seems like the perfect target for New York, giving the Jets a new franchise quarterback to build around with a wealth of draft picks at their disposal.

As for the Panthers, they’ll still pick eighth overall and have a chance to grab a blue-chip talent like OT Penei Sewell or TE Kyle Pitts, if either one falls to them.