The Panthers hold the No. 7 overall pick in this year’s draft. That should be high enough to land a strong long-term starter to fill one of the team’s many needs. The last time Carolina had a top-10 pick, the team got a generational talent at running back by taking Christian McCaffrey at No. 8 back in 2017.
However, staying put at that spot might put them out of range to pick a true game-changing kind of player. If they are looking to move up from the No. 7 pick, here are the only four prospects who they should be considering.
LSU QB Joe Burrow
David Tepper’s time as team owner has been defined by making bold moves. Some have been quite popular, others not so much. It doesn’t get any bolder than moving up for the top quarterback in the draft class.
The Panthers already have a connection to Burrow with new offensive coordinator Joe Brady, who helped him win the Heisman after a historic 2019 season. It’s hard not to imagine the possibilities of reforming that tandem and seeing what they can do together at the next level.
Burrow is not only the top QB prospect in the 2020 class, some analysts believe he’s the best to come along since Andrew Luck. It’s rare to get a guaranteed slam dunk at quarterback, even for a No. 1 pick. The chance to pair a potential superstar with a bright and innovative young offensive coordinator has to be alluring.
Trading up for Burrow would almost certainly require the team to move up to the No. 1 overall spot, though. The Bengals are in prime position to pillage any team that wants to deal with them. Any package would have to include a bare minimum of three first-round picks, a few choice Day 2 picks and probably much more going to Cincinnati. That’s a lot of capital to give up for as many needs as Carolina has.