Panthers named potential trade suitor for former 5th overall pick

Could the Carolina Panthers and the New York Giants do a little repeat business for another pass rusher?

That should at least be a possibility according to Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox, who recently named the Panthers as a potential trade suitor for Giants outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux.

With New York now prepared to field 2025 third overall pick Abdul Carter alongside two-time Pro Bowler Brian Burns, who was traded by Carolina last offseason, Knox thinks Thibodeaux could be on the move:

Now would be a great time for teams to inquire about Thibodeaux's availability. He's coming off an injury-impacted season (wrist), but he had 11.5 sacks in 2023 and won't turn 25 until December.

The Carolina Panthers could look to pair Thibodeaux with second-round rookie Nic Scourton and third-round rookie Princely Umanmielen to form an exciting young edge rotation. Jadeveon Clowney was Carolina's top edge-rusher in 2024, but he turned 32 in February.

Carolina's historically-bad defense ranked dead-last in pressure rate and were tied for the third-fewest sacks this past season. So even after spending their pair of Day 2 picks on Scourton and Umanmielen, the Panthers would probably be welcoming of even more young pass-rushing talent.

Thibodeaux, the fifth overall selection of the 2022 draft, might fit the bill. He's tallied 21.0 sacks over 43 career games and, with his fifth-year option having just been picked up, is under control for the next two seasons.