If Panthers Want to Spend Picks on Defense, a Giants Trade May Make More Sense

The Carolina Panthers have done a lot of work to fix their defense in free agency, but there's still work to be done. The edge rusher room is improved, but not perfect. They could still use a safety. Depth up front and at linebacker is crucial.

The draft is in a week, and it represents the chance for Carolina to finalize its defense. They will likely spend a few picks on defense, even if the offense needs more attention at this stage of the offseason.

What if they used those picks to address the defense in a different way? Two separate Giants defenders are potentially available for trade and would make a lot of sense for Carolina without costing them a true arm and a leg.

Panthers could trade for Kayvon Thibodeaux or Dexter Lawrence instead of drafting rookies

New York Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence (97) against the Philadelphia Eagles | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

If the Panthers spend a draft pick on an edge rusher and he becomes Kayvon Thibodeaux, that's a pretty solid outcome. If the Panthers draft the next Dexter Lawrence II, it would be an absolute masterclass by Dan Morgan.

But rookies are no sure thing. No prospect is ever a guarantee, so why not use that same (or maybe a little more) capital to ensure the Panthers get Lawrence or Thibodeaux? Both are potentially available in trades.

Lawrence requested a trade, and SB Nation's James Dator believes Carolina is a very logical landing spot since he'd be such a formidable partner for Derrick Brown.

"Bobby Brown III is the weakest part of the Panthers defense now, and Dexter Lawrence could make Carolina absolutely terrifying. A line with Derrick Brown and Lawrence, set off by Jaelan Phillips rushing off the edge could make for one of the better units in the NFL," he wrote.

He called it a "bold play" that Carolina should make while it is clearly in a window of contention in the NFC South. We agree. Lawrence wants a new deal, so the financial aspect makes it tricky, but if you've got the chance to add an All-Pro IDL to Derrick Brown's D-line, you have to do it.

As for Thibodeaux, he is perpetually in trade rumors. Bleacher Report's Moe Moton said, "Because of Thibodeaux's waning production over the previous two years, he's probably the odd man out of that rotation, with [Abdul] Carter likely to play more snaps in his second season."

The Panthers have trade history with the Giants after sending Brian Burns to them in 2024. Why not see if the pipeline is still active and get another quality edge rusher? Thibodeaux hasn't been elite, but he does have an 11.5-sack campaign in 2023.

New York Giants linebacker Brian Burns (0) runs the ball during the fourth quarter | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The Panthers could cut Pat Jones to make room, giving them a truly impressive edge room of Jaelan Phillips, Nic Scourton, Princely Umanmielen, and Thibodeaux. With Phillips' ability to slide inside occasionally, Ejiro Evero could get three of them on the field together at once to wreak havoc.

On either front, this would be a major upgrade for a Panthers defense that is clearly trying to reestablish itself as a legitimate NFL unit. Given the contract situations of both Lawrence and Thibodeaux, the likely trade packages won't be ridiculously exorbitant, either.

So instead of taking a risk on mid-round prospects, the Panthers should add established stars to further fix their defense.

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