Former Iowa Hawkeye Ihmir Smith-Marsette has found a new home. It was announced on Tuesday that the Carolina Panthers would be trading for the former Hawkeye receiver. Ian Rappaport reported early Tuesday morning that the Panthers would be swapping conditional 2025 seventh-round picks for Smith-Marsette.
Carolina marks the fourth spot for the former 2021 fifth-round NFL draft pick. Smith-Marsette signed with the Chiefs early into last season, spending most of the year on the practice squad. He would be promoted to the active roster ahead of the playoffs, winning a Super Bowl with Kansas City.
The trade occurs after a strong preseason showing for Smith-Marsette. He finished the preseason with nine catches for 195 yards and two touchdowns. He faced stiff competition to make the Kansas City roster, battling against multiple high draft picks at wide receiver.
Ihmir Smith-Marsette acquired in trade with Chiefshttps://t.co/4phUW0AYUX
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) August 29, 2023
The Newark, N.J., native hopes to make a Panthers wide receiver group that’s currently banged up with multiple injuries. Anyone familiar with Carolina’s roster knows that they desperately could use an influx of speed at the position.
Throughout the preseason, their wide receiver room has looked slow and struggled to separate. An athletic playmaker like Smith-Marsette could be a nice weapon off the bench for rookie quarterback Bryce Young.
Smith-Marsette can also provide competition to Raheem Blackshear at kick returner. He was a prolific return man at Iowa City, winning the Big Ten’s Rodgers-Dwight Return Specialist of the Year award in 2018.
During his Iowa Hawkeyes career, Smith-Marsette registered 110 receptions for 1,615 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns in 44 games played and across 20 starts. Smith-Marsette also tallied 1,520 kick return yards during his Iowa career.
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