Should the Panthers Try Sending Bryce Young to Raiders for Number 1 Pick?

Based on several things, Bryce Young is the quarterback both now and in the future for the Carolina Panthers. There's not an easy way to replace him, and he's done enough to justify the Panthers sticking with him.

But even the most pro-Young among us has to admit that the Panthers could do better. Most teams can do better, and even if Young is currently a mid-tier QB, that leaves room for improvement or an upgrade.

What if the Panthers wanted to pursue a potential upgrade and at least reset the timeline by drafting Fernando Mendoza?

Should the Panthers try and swap Bryce Young for Fernando Mendoza?

Indiana's Fernando Mendoza (15) smiles on the podium after the College Football Playoff National Championship | Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

There's pretty much no reason to believe the Las Vegas Raiders are going to trade the number one pick. They want Fernando Mendoza, and he's far and away the most viable QB prospect in this class.

But Bleacher Report analyst Moe Moton just pitched a few ideas that the Raiders would have to take for the number one pick. One such example was a C.J. Stroud for Mendoza swap.

In this deal, the Raiders got Stroud, Henry To'oTo'o, the 38th overall pick, and a 2027 second-round pick for the first overall pick.

Moton's logic was, "The Houston Texans may be headed for an uncomfortable situation with C.J. Stroud in extension talks... Houston isn't in a rush to sign Stroud to an extension, though he's eligible for one this offseason."

If that's true of Stroud, then it's probably true of Young and the Panthers. Despite the arrow seemingly pointing up for Young and seemingly pointing down for Stroud, there's no denying that Stroud has the better body of work.

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Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) reacts in the fourth quarter | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

So if the Texans might (and they probably aren't considering this) swap Stroud and a package for Mendoza, should the Panthers consider this since Young's been worse overall and they might be equally as hesitant to sign an extension?

The answer is probably not. The Panthers could package Young, Trevin Wallace, the 51st overall pick, a 2027 second-round pick, and a 2027 third-round pick to equal what Houston offered in this purely hypothetical trade scenario.

Did we not learn anything from the original Young trade? Sending so many picks to move up in the draft is not going to help a rookie QB, especially one who, with all due respect to Mendoza, was a bit of a one-year wonder in college.

It wouldn't be as damaging as the Young trade because it'd be fewer picks and they wouldn't be losing a DJ Moore-caliber player on offense, but it would still hamper their ability to provide Mendoza with the right supporting cast.

Plus, this would mean the rebuild starting over. The Panthers have made strides with Young, and they seem to be on an upward trajectory together. Is Mendoza good enough to justify that package and starting over after their first division title in a decade? Not remotely.