The Carolina Panthers are considering adding another first-round wide receiver for quarterback Bryce Young and ESPN just provided a fascinating trade idea that can kill two birds with one stone.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t![\"Dec](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/USATSI_27890038-scaled.jpg\")
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLos Angeles Chargers wide receiver Quentin Johnston (1) reacts after making a 60-yard reception against the Houston Texans during the first half at SoFi Stadium.
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tKiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images<\/p>\n
The Carolina Panthers haven\u2019t been shy about their desire to add more offensive talent around quarterback Bryce Young going into a pivotal fourth season with the team.<\/p>\n
Head coach Dave Canales listed tight end and wide receiver as potential positions<\/a> the team will consider with the 19th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. It\u2019s clear the team is eager to add another top-level weapon on offense, even after using their last two first-round selections on a wide receiver.<\/p>\n Doing it again for the third year in a row<\/a> shouldn\u2019t be overlooked. However, ESPN floated another idea that could still send a first-round WR talent to Carolina without having to use a first-round pick on the position.<\/p>\n ESPN\u2019s Bill Barnwell had a fascinating trade down proposal for the Panthers involving WR Quentin Johnston<\/p>\n ESPN\u2019s Bill Barnwell released an article on Monday involving hypothetical 2026 NFL Draft trades for each team<\/a> selecting in the first round. For the Panthers, Barnwell\u2019s trade proposal involved a trade down that included a former first-round wide receiver.<\/p>\n Barnwell\u2019s proposal was that the Panthers will send the 19th overall pick and their 2026 fifth-round pick to the Los Angeles Chargers in exchange for the 22nd overall pick and wide receiver Quentin Johnston.<\/p>\n \u201cPerennially in the market for playmakers to make Bryce Young\u2019s life easier, the Panthers could very well use another first-round pick on a wide receiver in this year\u2019s draft. I would prefer to see them address the defense, though, and this is a way for Dan Morgan\u2019s team to get out of Day 1 of the draft with both a playmaker and a new starter on the defensive side of the ball,\u201d Barnwell wrote<\/a>.<\/p>\n While purely a hypothetical, this is something the Panthers should consider<\/p>\n Let\u2019s first start with Johnston. The Chargers selected Johnston with the 21st overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft and since then he\u2019s totaled 1,877 yards and 18 touchdowns. He\u2019s coming off his second consecutive season with 700+ yards and eight touchdowns, but the Chargers have since drafted two wide receivers in Ladd McConkey and Tre Harris under new general manager Joe Hortiz.<\/p>\n Johnston is an explosive downfield player and has exceptional size at 6-2, 208 pounds. The Panthers like having size at the position when looking at Tetairoa McMillan and Xavier Legette. Johnston would be a nice complement to both players given his skillset.<\/p>\n As for the trade down, moving down three selections isn\u2019t terrible. Barnwell noted the Chargers would ideally want to jump the Dallas Cowboys (pick No. 20) to land a top pass rusher. The Panthers could slide back and still look to add a defensive player of their own such as Dillon Thieneman or Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, or even a top offensive tackle.<\/p>\n To me, there\u2019s no downside to this at all for Carolina. You still come away with an explosive 24-year-old wide receiver to add to the offense while having the first-round pick to use on another position. As far as hypotheticals go, this is one I would absolutely consider if I were general manager Dan Morgan.<\/p>\n
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