NFL Draft talent evaluator unintentionally makes the case for Carolina to trade back

The NFL Draft is one of sport’s most unpredictable crap shoots. Often times players that are surefire top ten selections flame out of the league with little to show in terms of NFL success. Other times, unheralded players drafted in the middle rounds turn into bonafide superstars that outplay dozens of players drafted ahead of them. 

Quantity over quality is a solid strategy come draft time, i.e. owning a bevy of day two picks instead of one premier, top ten pick, and in terms of this specific draft class, the Carolina Panthers should give serious thought to amassing some quantity while sacrificing their quality pick. 

Jim Nagy, the director of the Senior Bowl (a college All-Star game that represents the unofficial kick-off of draft season in earnest)  is talking with NFL teams who believe that there are at most 10 draft prospects with a first-round grade. 

The strength of this draft class is in its depth, not its top-end talent. 

There are a number of non-Abdul Carter pass rushers (a major position of need for the Panthers) projected to be first ~50 in the first round, but not the top ten. James Pearce Jr., Mike Green, Mykell Williams, and Shemar Stewart are all back half of the first round, top of the second round pass rusher options. 

What if Carolina traded back from 8 to ~20, added another top ~40 pick, and double dipped on a pair of top ten pass rushers to change the face of their defense? 

What if Carolina traded back from 8 to ~15, added another top ~50 pick, and selected Luther Burden II in the first round while adding a pass rusher early in the second? 

The Panthers’ options are limitless, and their swashbuckling General Manager Dan Morgan is liable to be active on draft night. 

If what Nagy is saying is true, Carolina is in the perfect spot to trade down. The allure of a top ten talent could be too much for another team to pass up on, and Morgan could take advantage of a desperate team looking to add one of those top-end talents with a first round grade before they disappear. 

Players like Jalon Walker, Malaki Starks, and Tet McMillian are intriguing options at number eight, but a whole world of possibilities and machinations open up if Carolina adds a handful of selections between 15-50 by trading back. 

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