ESPN floats fascinating trade down proposal for the Panthers that would still allow Carolina to land a first-round WR for Bryce Young
The Carolina Panthers are considering adding another first-round wide receiver for quarterback Bryce Young and ESPN just provided a fascinating trade idea that can kill two birds with one stone.
The Carolina Panthers haven’t been shy about their desire to add more offensive talent around quarterback Bryce Young going into a pivotal fourth season with the team.
Head coach Dave Canales listed tight end and wide receiver as potential positions the team will consider with the 19th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. It’s clear the team is eager to add another top-level weapon on offense, even after using their last two first-round selections on a wide receiver.
Doing it again for the third year in a row shouldn’t be overlooked. However, ESPN floated another idea that could still send a first-round WR talent to Carolina without having to use a first-round pick on the position.
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell had a fascinating trade down proposal for the Panthers involving WR Quentin Johnston
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell released an article on Monday involving hypothetical 2026 NFL Draft trades for each team selecting in the first round. For the Panthers, Barnwell’s trade proposal involved a trade down that included a former first-round wide receiver.
Barnwell’s proposal was that the Panthers will send the 19th overall pick and their 2026 fifth-round pick to the Los Angeles Chargers in exchange for the 22nd overall pick and wide receiver Quentin Johnston.
“Perennially in the market for playmakers to make Bryce Young’s life easier, the Panthers could very well use another first-round pick on a wide receiver in this year’s draft. I would prefer to see them address the defense, though, and this is a way for Dan Morgan’s team to get out of Day 1 of the draft with both a playmaker and a new starter on the defensive side of the ball,” Barnwell wrote.
While purely a hypothetical, this is something the Panthers should consider
Let’s first start with Johnston. The Chargers selected Johnston with the 21st overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft and since then he’s totaled 1,877 yards and 18 touchdowns. He’s coming off his second consecutive season with 700+ yards and eight touchdowns, but the Chargers have since drafted two wide receivers in Ladd McConkey and Tre Harris under new general manager Joe Hortiz.
Johnston is an explosive downfield player and has exceptional size at 6-2, 208 pounds. The Panthers like having size at the position when looking at Tetairoa McMillan and Xavier Legette. Johnston would be a nice complement to both players given his skillset.
As for the trade down, moving down three selections isn’t terrible. Barnwell noted the Chargers would ideally want to jump the Dallas Cowboys (pick No. 20) to land a top pass rusher. The Panthers could slide back and still look to add a defensive player of their own such as Dillon Thieneman or Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, or even a top offensive tackle.
To me, there’s no downside to this at all for Carolina. You still come away with an explosive 24-year-old wide receiver to add to the offense while having the first-round pick to use on another position. As far as hypotheticals go, this is one I would absolutely consider if I were general manager Dan Morgan.
Carolina Panthers News
Panthers can go ahead and rule out another top WR prospect as a potential option with the 19th overall pick after latest report
The Carolina Panthers are keeping their eye on top wide receiver prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft and a second name is now unlikely to be on the board when the 19th overall pick comes up.
