The Carolina Panthers need to add weapons for Bryce Young in some form or fashion this offseason, but they will face complications due to limited cap room.
As a result, the Panthers will have to get creative with shrewd signings and potential trades, and a very interesting trade may be on the table with the Minnesota Vikings.
The Vikings currently have one of the best wide receiver duos in football in Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, but they also possess a very intriguing tertiary option: Jalen Nailor.
Nailor caught 28 passes for 414 yards and six touchdowns as Minnesota’s No. 3 receiver this season in what represented the best year of his NFL career to date.
So why would the Vikings trade him?
Well, Nailor is preparing to enter the final year of his deal, and the chances of Minnesota signing him after 2025 seem slim. Not after the Vikings paid Jefferson and with Addison becoming eligible for an extension next offseason.
Nailor is only 25 years old and has shown a penchant for the big play, as evidenced by the fact that 22 of his catches went for first downs (and that doesn’t even include all of his touchdowns).
The Panthers currently have Adam Thielen, Xavier Legette and Jalen Coker at receiver, but Thielen could be done in Carolina, and while Legette and Coker are talented, they are largely unproven.
Not that Nailor has exactly established himself as a consistent threat, but he’s certainly shown flashes, and if we’re honest, he’s surpassed Legette on a per capt basis in 2024.
The Michigan State product has decent size, standing six feet tall and weighing 190 pounds. He played in the slot for the Vikings, so he could definitely slide into that role with Carolina, especially if the Panthers and Thielen part ways.
Nailor is very young and hasn’t reached his potential yet, so he’s someone who could absolutely grow with young guys moving forward.
Plus, he probably wouldn’t cost a ton in draft capital, so Carolina may want to trade a pick for Nailor to get the bird in their hands rather than putting themselves at risk to draft a wide receiver in the middle rounds.
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