The Rams must love rookie defensive lineman Braden Fiske, because they paid the Panthers a fortune to move up in the second round and draft him.
To move up from No. 52 to No. 39 and draft Fiske, the Rams gave up the 155th overall pick in this year’s draft, as well as the Rams’ second-round pick in next year’s draft.
That’s a rare price to pay, for a move up of just 13 spots in the second round. In fact, according to Seth Walder of ESPN Analytics, the Rams overpaid by the most any team has overpaid to move up on Day Two of the draft in at least the last six years.
Ultimately, the Rams used two second-round picks and a fifth-round pick on Fiske. That’s a lot to spend.
For the Panthers, it’s a great deal that nets them a second-round pick next year in addition to Jonathon Brooks, the running back the Panthers drafted after making another trade that packaged the two picks they got from the Rams. The Panthers didn’t have a 2025 second-round pick, having shipped it to Chicago in last year’s Bryce Young trade, but now they have a second-round pick after making a good trade on Friday.
Day 3 of the 2024 NFL Draft is underway and the Panthers have selected an offensive player with pick No. 101.
Carolina has taken tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders out of Texas with the first pick of the fourth round.
Sanders was a two-time first-team All-Big 12 selection. He set the single-season program record for catches by a tight end with 54 in 2022, going for 613 yards with five touchdowns. In 2023, he caught 45 passes for 682 yards with two TDs.
The Panthers have now selected three offensive players to help surround quarterback Bryce Young with talent — Sanders, receiver Xavier Legette at No. 32, and running back Jonathon Brooks at No. 46.
The Panthers have been wheeling and dealing to start Day 2 of the draft.
After trading out of the No. 39 overall pick, Carolina acquired the No. 46 overall pick from Indianapolis to select running back Jonathon Brooks out of Texas.
Brooks, 20, was behind Bijan Robinson for two seasons before taking over as the lead back for Texas in 2023. He rushed for 1,139 yards with 10 touchdowns in 11 games but tore his ACL.
He said during the scouting combine that he should be ready for the start of training camp.
In all, Brooks rushed for 1,479 yards with 16 touchdowns. He caught 28 passes for 335 yards with two TDs.
Brooks is the first running back to be selected in the 2024 draft.
Carolina received No. 46 from Indianapolis in exchange for No. 52, No. 142 in the fifth round, and No. 155 in the fifth round.
The Rams have made a significant move to pick up another defensive player.
Los Angeles acquired the No. 39 overall pick from Carolina to select defensive tackle Braden Fiske.
Fiske, 24, spent last season at Florida State after spending five seasons with Western Michigan. He was a second-team All-ACC honoree in 2023 after recording 6.0 sacks with 9.0 tackles for loss.
He was a second-team All-MAC honoree in 2022 after recording 6.0 sacks with 12.0 tackles for loss along with two forced fumbles and three passes defensed.
In all, Fiske played 58 games with 43 starts in college and had 19.5 sacks with 36.5 tackles for loss.
The Rams also selected edge rusher Jared Verse out of Florida State on Thursday night.
Los Angeles sent Carolina No. 52 in the second round, No. 155 in the fifth round, and a second-round pick in 2025 to complete the trade for No. 39.
South Carolina receiver Xavier Legette gave away the Panthers’ plan three days before the draft, saying Carolina had promised to draft him 33rd overall if he fell into the second round. Panthers coach Dave Canales laughed off Legette’s disclosure as something he said to many prospects.
After the Panthers traded up into the first round Thursday night to draft Legette with the 32nd overall pick, Canales admitted the truth.
“We loved him. I’m not gonna sit here and lie about that,” Canales said, via Joe Person of TheAthletic.com. “But I meant what I said: There’s a lot of guys we were excited about at that area.”
Even without Legette spilling the beans, the Panthers tipped their hand by fawning over Legette. Legette said he had a feeling as far back as the Senior Bowl that the Panthers had serious interest, interest which continued through the pre-draft process.
“We had three days we had to meet with teams and each day I had to meet with the Panthers,” Legette said, via Kassidy Hill of the team website. “That’s when I realized, OK, they really want me, and then I just kept meeting me with them.”
The Panthers sent their 33rd and 141st pick to the Bills to move into the first round and take their target.
“He was our target,” General Manager Dan Morgan said. “We really liked him, and we went and got him.”
In Legette’s only season as a full-time starter, he made 71 receptions for 1,255 yards and seven touchdowns with Spencer Rattler as his quarterback.
