Heading into the 2025 NFL draft, the Carolina Panthers roster has a lot of holes to fill. Offensively, they're going to need a wide receiver, a tight end and at least some depth at offensive tackle given their brinksmanship with both Ickey Ekwonu and Taylor Moton. Defensively, they need a quality edge rusher, another starting safety and some depth at cornerback, to start.
What this team needs more than specific positional upgrades is a real infusion of A+ talent. When 100% healthy, Derrick Brown and Jaycee Horn are potentially All-Pro players but as of yet they haven't gotten there. That's it as far as (potential) elite talents go for the Panthers.
While they have to get their overall roster up to a level better than the UFL - the only way they're going to catch the Tampa Bay Buccaneers anytime soon is by adding a superstar (or two) at a key position.
On that end, there is one possible way Carolina could score a blue-chip piece next week. While they are generally expected to try to trade down from the 8th overall spot, according to Mike Florio the Panthers could also move up for someone like Travis Hunter or Abdul Carter.
We'd be very much surprised by this scenario - as we're expecting the Panthers to try to trade down and add more picks to fill out one of the NFC's weakest overall rosters. However, there is a case to move up for one of those rare birds who are projected to get taken in the top-five overall picks.
In the unlikely event that they do move up to the third overall spot (the Giants could then take Shedeur Sanders ahead of the Saints at No. 9 overall) - they'd have to consider Michigan's Mason Graham, as well - but Carter and Hunter are the real gets.
It's hard to argue against Carter given the Panthers' need on the edge, but remember this is still a deep draft class at that spot - with over a dozen quality edge prospects ranked in the top 100. As far as two-way superstars, there's only one of those in this draft. Hunter's ability to not only play both wide receiver and cornerback but also thrive makes him the most-valuable potential pick in this draft class - arguably moreso than the potential franchise quarterbacks.
While it's been a long time since it's been done in the NFL, there's a rich tradition of players going two ways and doing well for themselves. The resistance to Hunter playing both spots seems to be more about the mental load than the physical toll - but this ignores the fact that he's done perfectly fine at the college level - performing at a high level both as a receiver and as a corner for one of the greatest corners of all time.
If Hunter's work on both sides of the ball is good enough for Deion Sanders, it should be good enough for the Panthers or any other team that has even a slim chance to get him. In any trade-up scenario Hunter has to be the top target.
