This summer, the Carolina Panthers acquired Diontae Johnson via trade and selected Xavier Legette with the final selection of the first round, adding two enormous components to the offence.
GM Dan Morgan will still address the position in the upcoming summer despite the signing of those two players, particularly since Johnson is about to enter the last year of his current contract. If Johnson doesn’t live up to the expectations, they may allow him to leave in free agency and select a different young receiver in the first round of the following year’s selection.
In his way-too-early mock draft, ESPN’s Matt Miller estimates that Carolina would trade the No. 2 pick to the Las Vegas Raiders in exchange for the No. 8 pick, a 2026 first-round pick, and a 2027 second-round pick. The Intruders seize Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders while the Panthers select Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden.
“In this scenario, after spending money on guards Damien Lewis and Robert Hunt this offseason, the Panthers are able to move back and still get a playmaker, keeping their attention on developing an offensive support system around Bryce Young. With an average of 14.1 yards per catch and 1,212 yards on 86 receptions last season, Burden is the most explosive athlete in college football. He also has the same ability to make defenders miss after a grab as Deebo Samuel. And he does it at a respectable 4.3 mph. Burden would provide Young with the wideouts he needs to succeed if he were paired with Diontae Johnson and 2024 second-round pick Xavier Legette.”
Burden would be an excellent complement to the seasoned receiver or the ideal Johnson replacement. He is incredibly fast and possesses the ability to create separation early in routes. As a sophomore in 2023, Burden reeled in 86 receptions for 1,212 yards and nine touchdowns.
