The Panthers have spent enough time shuffling bodies on the offensive line that the idea of adding another one is easy to understand. The harder part is figuring out whether Jackson Powers-Johnson is worth the trouble.
At 23, he checks a few boxes Carolina has to care about. He has played both guard and center, and he wouldn’t be brought in as a short-term patch for the next couple of months. That matters, especially after Bryce Young was taken down six times against Green Bay.
Still, this is not the kind of move that comes with a clean answer. Powers-Johnson was a second-round pick just two years ago, but his situation in Las Vegas has already turned strange. He has lost his place in the starting lineup, and that alone should make Carolina pause before sending anything meaningful back to the Raiders.
A year ago, this probably wouldn’t have even been a conversation. Now the question is whether a Day 3 pick could be enough to get something done.
That’s the range where the risk starts to make sense. If the Panthers are only giving up a late pick, they’re not betting the farm - they’re betting on the possibility that the rookie version of Powers-Johnson is still in there somewhere.
That rookie season is the reason this remains interesting. He started 14 games as a rookie, splitting time between left guard and center. That kind of usage doesn’t erase the concern around what happened next, but it does leave enough behind to make you wonder if there’s still a player worth salvaging.
The problem is that the warning signs are real. Powers-Johnson was at right guard when the Raiders changed course, and that creates a fair question: what exactly would Carolina be getting? If Las Vegas has already decided he’s not part of the plan, the Panthers would need a better explanation than simple availability.
Fit is another issue. Robert Hunt is at right guard, and Powers-Johnson hasn’t been working at center lately.
Carolina doesn’t need another lineman who arrives with a position question attached to him. If the Panthers make a move, it should be because they already know where he fits, not because a former second-round pick happened to be on the market.
That’s why this one lands in a tricky spot. The upside is obvious enough to explore. The downside is that he’s already lost his starting job, and Carolina has enough problems without adding another player it has to sort out later.
So the price matters. If Las Vegas wants more than a late pick, the Panthers should walk away. They have too many other issues to start spending better draft capital on a lineman the Raiders just benched.
But if the cost stays down at Day 3, that’s a different story. At that point, it’s a worthwhile swing on a 23-year-old who once looked like part of the future.
In Other News...
Panthers Trade Buzz Centers On Bryce Youngs Urgent Need
The Panthers need for another reliable pass-catching option has only grown as injuries have thinned out the group around Bryce Young, and that has pushed a familiar name into the conversation. According to Steven Ruiz of FOX Sports, Carolina has been linked to Colts wide receiver Josh Downs, who has reportedly asked for a trade, with the idea being that he could be available for a pair of 2027 fourth-round picks.
For a team trying to give Young a better chance to settle in and keep the offense moving, the fit is easy to see on paper. Downs is the kind of addition that would make sense for a roster looking for help now and a little more stability in the passing game, but the report is still speculative, and there is no confirmation the Panthers are actually moving on it. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers May Have A Real Trade Answer For Their Biggest Defensive Problem
The Panthers defensive issues have been piling up for weeks, and the run defense has been at the center of it. Injuries in the secondary have only made life harder on a unit that has already struggled to get stops, and the decision to fire defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero underscored just how urgent the problem has become as the NFL trade deadline approaches.
Jaelan Sieler has emerged as a name worth watching if Carolina decides it needs help up front. The Dolphins defensive end would fit the kind of move the Panthers need most right now, adding another body with the potential to steady the front and take some pressure off a defense that has been stretched thin. Whether Carolina actually follows through is the question hanging over the next few days. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Trade Deadline Pressure Is Rising At Their Weakest Position
With the trade deadline approaching, Dave Canales made it clear the Panthers are at least open to exploring help, even if the financial picture makes any move tricky. Carolinas cap situation leaves little wiggle room, but the need is hard to ignore after injuries have thinned out the cornerback room and put more pressure on the depth chart than the staff probably wanted this early in the stretch run.
Cornerback has become the spot to watch because it is the one place where a thin roster can turn into a game-day problem fast. The Panthers can talk about adding talent, but the bigger question is whether they can find a player who fits both the need on the field and the limits on the books before the deadline closes. [Read more 🡒]