Analyst names shocking top trade candidate for Carolina Panthers

An analyst has tabbed a very surprising top trade candidate for the Carolina Panthers heading into the NFL Draft.

Aug 17, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers guard Cade Mays (64) during pregame warm ups against the New York Jets at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images / Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

The Carolina Panthers have been very active this offseason, making numerous free-agent signings to bolster their suddenly solid roster heading into 2025.

Is it possible the Panthers may also swing some trades ahead of the NFL Draft? It's anybody's guess, but Carolina may want to try and add some more draft capital next month.

Bradley Locker of Pro Football Focus has identified who he feels is the Panthers' best trade asset, and his answer may surprise you: offensive lineman Cade Mays.

"Carolina re-signed Austin Corbett and Brady Christensen, which means the team's center situation doesn’t have a lot of clarity. Mays posted a terrific 74.9 PFF pass-blocking grade across 495 total snaps in 2024, but he’s amassed only 980 snaps in his three-year career," Locker wrote. "With experience playing both guard and center, the 2026 free agent could be a trade piece."

Mays has been a sleeper for the Panthers thus far in his career. He has played in 38 games and made 15 starts in three seasons, displaying very solid versatility. However, he is not projected to earn a starting job for the Panthers in 2025, and he is entering the final year of his deal.

Would Carolina try and move the talented 25-year-old? Perhaps, depending on what the Panthers could get in return. Offensive linemen are at a premium in the modern NFL, so Carolina may actually be able to land a decent draft pick for Mays.

At the same time, though, Mays has already demonstrated considerable potential, so the Panthers may be best served holding onto the former sixth-round selection and determining whether or not they want to re-sign him next offseason.

Oct 29, 2023; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers guard Cade Mays (68) during warm up at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

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