Panthers-Seahawks Trade Proposal Would Give Panthers Elite Linebacker, Solid Edge

The Carolina Panthers currently have seven picks in the NFL draft. They pick 19th, 51st, 83rd, 119th, 158th, 162nd, and 200th. It is highly unlikely that all those draft slots stay the same.

GM Dan Morgan has been very active in moving up and down the draft board in his two years, and he's most likely going to do that again this year. Where might he decide to be aggressive or pull back and collect assets?

According to Joe Person of The Athletic, a potential move involved that 51st pick could set up the Panthers really nicely.

Panthers mock draft includes perfect trade with Seahawks

Texas Tech's Jacob Rodriguez looks on during warmups before the Big 12 Conference championship | Nathan Giese/Avalanche-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Carolina Panthers, in the latest mock draft, trade down from the 51st pick to the 56th (also parting with the 158th pick). In doing so, Joe Person of The Athletic says the Panthers get the 96th pick from the Seattle Seahawks as well as that 56th.

With the 56th pick, the Panthers (after taking tackle Monroe Freeling 19th overall) land Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez. Say what you want about taking a tackle in the first round, but adding Rodriguez in the second after getting a couple of better picks is a huge win.

"Rodriguez will arrive in the NFL as a three-down ‘backer who had four interceptions last year for the Red Raiders. The 6-1, 231-pound Rodriguez finished his career with 19 forced turnovers, so he knows how to be disruptive around the ball," Person wrote.

He continued, "[Dane] Brugler, who also has Rodriguez going to Carolina in the second round, noted that Texas Tech coaches called him the 'quarterback of the defense.' That sounds like a former Panthers linebacker who will be receiving a gold jacket this summer."

The Panthers desperately need a good inside linebacker, and Rodriguez is one that has been steadily rising up draft boards. If the Panthers were able to move back, get a better pick later on, and draft Rodriguez, it would be one of the best moves of the entire NFL draft.

Auburn defensive lineman Keyron Crawford (DL34) during the NFL Scouting Combine | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

With that 96th pick, the Panthers, in Person's mock, finally address the edge with Auburn edge rusher Keyron Crawford. "Crawford had more production than [Keldric] Faulk last season, finishing with more tackles, sacks, tackles for loss, and passes defended than his more publicized teammate," Person argued.

Crawford is undersized, but he has a truly explosive first step. He also gives effort at all three levels, and there's plenty of upside to make him a good, smart value pick this late in the draft.