2020 NFL Mock Draft: Dolphins, Panthers trade up in 3-round projection

TRADE: Panthers trade No. 7, 69 and 2021 second-, third-round picks to Lions for No. 5

Could the Carolina Panthers choose to roll with Cam Newton as their quarterback now that he’s (hopefully) healthy? That’s very much in the cards. And yet, the hiring of Matt Rhule as their head coach and Joe Brady as the offensive coordinator has it looking as if the Panthers are building a staff that will help to develop a young leader, which could mean drafting a quarterback. So they get aggressive and grab Justin Herbert by trading up to No. 5 with the Lions.

When you look at the physical tools Herbert brings to the table, he has franchise quarterback written all over him. What he needs to become is a better leader and a signal-caller that simply performs with more consistency in terms of his mentality and decision-making. Putting him with this staff and with the weapons in Carolina, however, could be the best-case scenario for unlocking his talents.

With the top three quarterback prospects off the board, the Los Angeles Chargers are now left in a tricky position. They don’t have Philip Rivers any longer, meaning that they now have to find answers at that position still but they could do so in free agency. No matter who is under center, however, the Chargers need to get more consistent protection for that player and that’s why they take the best offensive tackle on the board, Alabama’s Jedrick Wills.

Playing right tackle for the Crimson Tide, Wills showed everything you want to see from a top-end NFL tackle prospect. Whether you want power and push at the point of attack or mobility and footwork to be able to get into space and work, Wills has you covered as he’s among the A-list prospects in the 2020 NFL Draft. He will give whoever is at quarterback for the Bolts plenty of peace of mind.