The NFL Draft is just under two weeks away but the Carolina Panthers may have already become one of the event’s biggest winners.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport revealed on Friday that New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr is dealing with a significant shoulder injury that could jeopardize his availability for the 2025 season. With Jake Haener, Spencer Rattler, and Ben DiNucci on the roster, the Saints are now likely to select a quarterback with the ninth overall pick in the draft giving teams a significant data point in their pre-draft strategy.
If a team is looking for a quarterback in the draft, they now know that they will need to jump ahead of New Orleans to do it. The Panthers are in the perfect position to capitalize as teams will call for the eighth overall pick, but what deal could be enough to get it done?
Thankfully, there’s one team in the back half of the first round that could use a quarterback and could give the Panthers what they need to move back in the draft.
Steelers Acquire Future Franchise QB In Projected Trade With Panthers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are team that could be desperate for a quarterback in this year’s draft. The Steelers are currently projected to select 21st overall in the first round and may not be able to get their top choice if they wait their turn and see who is available. Even if they did, that strategy backfired the last time they took a quarterback as Kenny Pickett was the first signal caller taken with the 20th overall pick in the 2022 draft.
There’s also a sense of urgency in Pittsburgh. The Steelers have flirted with Aaron Rodgers throughout the offseason but notable players including Cameron Heyward have expressed their frustration that they haven’t made a move to fill their quarterback position. Unless they want to pay a premium price for Kirk Cousins, moving up in the draft may be the way to go – even if the plan is to have the rookie sit behind Rodgers or Cousins before taking over in 2026.
So what could a deal look like if the Steelers get aggressive? It would have Pittsburgh sending the 21st and 83rd (third-round) picks in this year’s draft and their second-round selection in the 2026 draft to Carolina in exchange for the eighth overall selection.
The trade is based off the Rich Hill Trade Value chart which accurately reflects the trades of the past several years. While the Panthers’ first-round pick has a value of 408, the Steelers’ first-round selection only has a value of 261. Adding in the third-round pick adds 52 points to the mix and the 2026 second-rounder has a minimum value of 80 points, which can go up depending on where the Steelers finish next year.
It seems like a lot if the Steelers’ plan is to wind up with Rodgers. But it’s a lesser cost than the Chicago Bears gave up to acquire Justin Fields in the 2021 draft.
In that trade, the Bears sent the 20th overall pick and their fifth-round selection (No. 164 overall) in the 2021 draft as well as first-and fourth-round picks in the 2022 draft to select Fields with the 11th overall pick. The Steelers would be making a bigger jump than the Bears did but may not be willing to pay as much if they’re interested in taking a flier at their scheduled pick.
Regardless, there are other teams that could come calling. The Cleveland Browns and Giants are both teams to watch as desperate front offices need to come out of this draft with a quarterback. While the Giants have Jameis Winston and Russell Wilson, neither are signed past the upcoming season, which means they need to have a succession plan in place.
The Browns are also in the same mess where Deshaun Watson’s contract has foiled any plans to get a suitable signal caller. While they’ve traded for Pickett and signed Joe Flacco, taking a quarterback in the draft seems like a good idea even if they use the No. 2 overall pick to select Colorado star Travis Hunter.
Still, the Panthers could capitalize on this weak draft. If Hunter’s teammate Shedeur Sanders starts to fall, teams may get aggressive to jump in front of the Saints. If the Steelers made this deal, it would give Carolina an additional Day 2 selection in this year’s draft after sending their original second-round pick to Chicago in the Bryce Young trade and another second-round pick in the 2026 draft.
While the Panthers could get more, this would feel like a win and help Carolina build around Young heading into next season.