3 Panthers on the Trade Block on Draft Day

The Carolina Panthers are heading into a pivotal draft. Despite not having a first-round pick, the Panthers have a chance to upgrade their roster after the disastrous 2023 campaign. They have holes to fill up and down the roster and what they will do with their seven selections will be the deciding factor for how much of a forward step forward they will take next season.

Panthers fans are also no strangers to draft day transactions. Carolina might try to move up into the first round by packaging some of its draft picks or trading some of their players to acquire additional draft capital. Let's take a look at a few Panthers likely to be traded.

Adam Thielen, WR

When the Panthers signed Adam Thielen to a three-year, $25 million deal in the 2023 offseason, both sides were hoping for things to turn out much differently than they did. The veteran receiver had as good of a season as he did in a while, recording his first 100-catch and 1,000-yard season since 2018, but the Panthers offense was an absolute mess. Carolina finished the season 31st in points and dead last in yards on that end, contributing to a miserable 2-15 season.

The 33-year-old was a consummate professional all season, trying to get his team out of the mud, starting all 17 games, and having multiple 100+ yards and TD games throughout the year. However, he didn't shy away from voicing his frustration with the team either.

At this final stage of his career, is Thielen okay with a long rebuild? Is the Dave Canales hire and a few additions to the offensive line enough to keep him happy in Carolina? Does it even make sense for the Panthers to keep him around instead of moving him while his trade value is as high as it will likely be in the future?

Trading Thielen to a contender could net the Panthers a mid-round pick. For a team that doesn't have a first-round pick and only owns seven selections in the draft, getting an extra draft pick could be valuable.