The Carolina Panthers, of course, just traded for Sam Darnold. This move changes the landscape of the entire 2021 NFL draft. Will it make trading up ahead of them less valuable? Will that cause the Atlanta Falcons to stay put and draft Pitts? Maybe a team in the 20s find themselves in range to move up? Who knows?

It will be exciting for other QB-needy teams, but who will the Panthers select now that they’ve found a signal-caller? Here are three options to keep an eye on:

Kyle Pitts

Not only is Kyle Pitts the best tight end in this class. In fact, one can argue that he’s one of the best tight ends in football: point-blank, period.

Pitts is a freak athlete with a massive wingspan and 4.44 speed, making him a mismatch for basically any defensive player you could throw at him. His ability as a wide receiver reminds us a lot of Las Vegas Raiders tight end Darren Waller. Waller has exceeded 1,000 yards each of the last two seasons and was unstoppable at the end of last season, averaging 130 yards per game over the last five games.

The scariest thing about Pitts is that he doesn’t have the drop problems Waller does. Pitts dropped exactly ZERO passes last year. Watch about 10 plays of any Florida game and Pitts will jump off the screen. He’s simply on a different level, and one could say that he the best prospect in the class.

If he’s there at eight, the Panthers should take him. 

Christian Darrisaw

Penei Sewell and Rashawn Slater are getting the most hype of all the offensive lineman, but Christian Darrisaw should be squarely in that conversation.

Darrisaw checks every box: he’s big, long, athletic, and shut down NFL prospects in college. Assuming Sewell will be gone by eight, Darrisaw should be a top target for the Panthers. One of the factors that contributed to Darnold’s downfall was that his offensive line getting crushed like a can in a vice frequently in New York. Darnold lived on the run, constantly having to escape collapsing pockets.

The Carolina offensive line isn’t a whole lot better. ESPN projects their left tackle to be Cameron Erving, who has bounced around the league after being one of the many first-rounders to bust on the Cleveland Browns. Guards Pat Elflein and John Miller are projected starters who would be backups on most other teams. Elite skill position talent can’t save you if the offensive line can’t block anyone. Did you see the Super Bowl?

Patrick Surtain II

The NFC South is loaded with big, physical wideouts. Michael Thomas, Julio Jones, and Mike Evans have and will continue to wreak havoc on the Panthers' weak secondary. With that said, Surtain figures to match up well with big wideouts like those guys.

Surtain’s biggest weakness is his quickness. He declined to run agility drills at his pro day, but it seemed like some quicker receivers could get separation against him. His strengths are his excellent press technique and his size that helps him eat up space carrying guys down the sideline. He’s an NFC South type of corner.

The Panthers' front seven look decent, but you can’t be a good defense in this division with the corners they currently have. If they want to be playoff contenders, a guy like Surtain bothering the Mike Evans types of the world would certainly help them out.