The Carolina Panthers were embarrassed 40-7 by the Washington Commanders on Sunday. The hapless Panthers are now 1-6 and in a three-way tie for the worst record in the NFL with the New England Patriots and Cleveland Browns. As things stand due to tiebreakers, the Panthers possess the No. 2 overall selection in April's upcoming 2025 NFL Draft.
Panthers general manager Dan Morgan should be a seller at the impending NFL trade deadline (Nov. 5). The Panthers require as much draft capital as they can realistically get their hands on as they prepare to draft another quarterback and rebuild the roster. Wide receiver Diontae Johnson is easily Carolina's most intriguing asset.
Johnson has recorded 30 receptions for 357 yards and three touchdowns this season. He's in a contract year and the Panthers have other long-term pieces at receiver such as Xavier Legette. We've identified three potential landing spots for Johnson via trade.
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers fell to a disappointing 3-4 after losing Sunday's Super Bowl rematch to the Kansas City Chiefs. Adding insult to injury, the 49ers lost more than a game. Superstar wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk is feared to have suffered a season-ending torn ACL injury, according to multiple reports.
The 3-4 Niners are nowhere near calling quits on their campaign. They remain in the postseason hunt, one game behind the Seattle Seahawks for the NFC West lead. Replacing Aiyuk now becomes of the utmost importance. Getting Christian McCaffrey back will help and rookie receiver Ricky Pearsall made his pro debut on Sunday. If general manager John Lynch opts for more experience as opposed to relying on Pearsall to immediately step into Aiyuk's role, acquiring Johnson would be a shrewd decision.
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are going through the growing pains right now. Rookie quarterback Drake Maye made his second career (and consecutive start) in Sunday's blowout loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Maye put forth an extremely promising performance, completing 26-of-37 passing attempts for 276 yards, two touchdowns, and zero interceptions.
We'd rarely encourage a team like the 1-6 Patriots to flip draft capital for proven players, but Johnson could be an exception. Maye is developing despite a lack of weapons at his disposal. The Panthers probably aren't expecting more than a fourth-round selection for Johnson, and the Patriots would still be projected to possess four top-100 picks before the fourth round. With a league-leading amount of cap space scheduled for the offseason, the Patriots could easily sign Johnson to a multi-year extension, freeing them up to focus their resources on improving the offensive line.
Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs improved to a perfect 6-0 on Sunday despite their passing attack's ongoing struggles. Patrick Mahomes threw for 154 yards, zero touchdowns, and two interceptions. Mahomes now has more interceptions (eight) than touchdowns (six) this season and has committed a turnover in every single contest.
Xavier Worthy was not prepared for a No. 1 receiver role following Rashee Rice’s season-ending injury. Johnson would immediately be the go-to wideout on the Chiefs' roster. If the Chiefs fail to complete the three-peat, it will almost certainly be because a lackluster passing game eventually caught up with them.
