Did the Panthers Lose at the Combine?
The 2020 NFL Combine is nearing its end and one of the biggest winners of the week is Clemson linebacker Isaiah Simmons. The biggest loser? Potentially the Carolina Panthers.
The Panthers hold the No. 7 overall pick in this year’s draft and are in need of a playmaker on the defensive side of the football. Unfortunately for the Panthers, Simmons’s stock continues to rise and now there is speculation that he may go as early as No. 3 to the Detroit Lions. The Lions have considered “shopping around” veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford and potentially selecting Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa to be their next face of the franchise.
According to Jason McIntyre of FOX Sports, Stafford would be too much dead cap money for the Lions to eat and with only one year remaining on his current deal, it would make sense for them to re-evaluate the situation a year from now. If the Lions keep Stafford, they’ll likely turn their attention to Simmons or Ohio State corner Jeff Okudah.
Adding Simmons to the Panthers linebacking corps would do wonders for this defense, following the loss of Luke Kuechly. With all that being said, should the Panthers make a move up in the draft to select Simmons?
My opinion, no.
Having the seventh pick in the draft puts you in a good position to select a player that can come in and have an immediate impact on your franchise. I don’t see the value in trading up potentially just four spots and also sacrifice draft capital while doing so. If Simmons is gone by No. 7, it's not the end of the world even though he would be the best option for the Panthers. In this case, the Panthers can take Derrick Brown if they want to focus on the defensive side and if not, can go with either Andrew Thomas (Georgia) or Mekhi Becton (Louisville) to build the offensive line.
Losing multiple drafts just to move up three spots would be a tough bullet to bite. Most teams aren't going to make a trade up like that, unless it's for a quarterback.
One thing is for certain - Simmons is going to make it tough for six teams to pass over him.
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