After pulling off their first win of the season in Week 8 against the Houston Texans, the Carolina Panthers could look to keep the positive momentum going by pulling off a big trade before Tuesday's October 31st trade deadline. While the Panthers aren't competing for the playoffs this year, pulling the trigger on a trade to provide Bryce Young with more help as he continues along in his development as the Panthers franchise quarterback would be a prudent move.

Who should the Panthers target in a trade before Tuesday's deadline?

Why Broncos WR Jerry Jeudy would be a perfect fit for the Panthers

It's been rumored for weeks that Carolina has wanted to upgrade the wide receiver position via trade, and Denver Broncos wide receiver Jerry Jeudy is the exact kind of target the Panthers should be looking to acquire. Jeudy hasn't lived up to his usual standards this season under new head coach Sean Payton, who probably should be looking for any excuse to get Marvin Mims on the field more toward the back half of the season anyway. The Broncos are a logical seller despite the win over Kansas City and the front they may be putting up in the media.

Any acquisition for the Panthers needs to be around for the long haul, and Jeudy is under contract through 2024, which would allow Carolina room to negotiate with him before his value spikes.

More important than how he fits into the Panthers' cap picture is how he fits with Bryce Young on the field. Young was drafted primarily for his quick processing ability and accuracy, and Jeudy is the kind of dangerous route runner who can create separation and play to Young's strengths. While there may be the temptation to go after a bigger, Alpha boundary wide receiver, Jeudy's route running and ability to dominate in tight windows would be much more beneficial to Young.

Bryce Young and Brian Burns

According to ESPN's wide receiver player-tracking data, Jeudy has put together two highly ranked seasons in 2021 and 2022 in “Open Score”, which is explained as follows:

“For every route run, Open Score assesses the likelihood a receiver would be able to complete a catch, conditional on if he were targeted. The assessment takes place a moment before pass release (0.2 seconds prior), because defenders read the shoulders of the quarterback at release and break on the targeted receiver. Otherwise, actual targeted receivers would appear to be less likely to complete a catch. Unfortunately, our models can't directly know the signal-callers pass progression (the sequence of reads he makes during each play), but they are aware of the route type, depth, and time after snap of the pass release. That means our models do have some sense of timing.”

Basically, Jeudy is a master at creating separation and consistently getting open, which is what the Panthers need. That led him to a really successful finish to the 2022 season with Russell Wilson, where he averaged over 6 catches for 87 yards and 3 touchdowns in his final six games to close out the year.

Jeudy dealt with a hamstring injury to start the season, which may be responsible for his steep drop-off so far this year. While Jeudy's health is a fair concern, this may be the perfect time to “buy-low” on the 15th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Bryce Young has had a lot of success targeting Adam Thielen, but no other receiver for the Panthers has really stepped up. While it's nice to get production from a 33-year-old wideout, Young should be developing more chemistry with someone who can be around for the future. Carolina trading for Jerry Jeudy before the NFL trade deadline would accomplish just that.