Mel Kiper Has Panthers Trading Up in Latest Mock Draft

This move makes a lot of sense, but is it worth the risk?

ESPN NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. released his latest mock draft on Tuesday and projected the Carolina Panthers to trade up into the No. 3 spot in a deal that would send the No. 8 overall pick and a 2022 1st round or 2nd round pick to the Miami Dolphins. With that pick, Kiper has the Panthers selecting Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields.

With the off-the-field drama that continues to unfold with Houston Texans QB Deshaun Watson, it may be wise for the Panthers to turn their attention toward drafting a quarterback. That is until evidence is provided that Watson is either guilty or innocent of the recent allegations being made against him. With that being up in the air with an unknown timeline of when everything will be figured out, it only makes sense for Carolina to go all-in on moving up in the draft to select their future quarterback.

Justin Fields is a real solid quarterback that is only scratching the surface of the player he can ultimately become. I understand the comparisons to Cam Newton, but they are two different types of quarterbacks. Coming out of college, Fields is a better thrower of the football than Newton was. Newton's arm developed over the years but it was his dual-threat ability that really jumped off the screen. Fields can run the ball if need be and is mobile enough to have designed runs called for him but he's not going to necessarily plow through guys as Newton can. 

Over his two years at Ohio State, Fields completed passes at a 68% clip and tossed for 63 touchdowns to only nine interceptions. Fields would be coming into the organization in a good situation. He's got weapons all around him and a revamped offensive line. Not to mention, he will be able to sit and learn behind Teddy Bridgewater until he is ready to take the reigns of the offense. 

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