The Carolina Panthers have not shied away from engaging in the trade market over the past decade, especially during the NFL Draft. While they’ve made some good selections since 2015, you don’t miss the playoffs in seven straight seasons without a few hiccups in the road. In a recent article, Bleacher Report‘s Kristopher Knox listed the worst trade every team made in the past decade, and his choice for Carolina may not be what you expect.
While he alludes to the Christian McCaffrey and Bryce Young trades, Knox ultimately thinks the Panthers worst move came when they traded up to draft offensive tackle Greg Little. Little, of course, entered the league as a second-round pick but lasted just two seasons with the team before Carolina traded him for a meager seventh-round pick.
“The Panthers 2019 trade up to draft offensive tackle Greg Little? That ended up being a flat-out bad deal,” Knox writes. “Carolina needed a tackle and surrender a third-round pick to move up 10 spots and secure Little…Little made it to Carolina, and then pretty much disappeared. Injuries limited him to four games as a rookie and again in 2020…The Panthers traded away Little after just two years and 14 games.”
Panthers Greg Little Trade Named Worst Move of Past Decade
Greg Little is somewhat overlooked in Panthers draft history, but it’s easy to see why the trade is the worst the team has made in recent memory. While the Christian McCaffrey trade was harder to swallow, the Panthers actually netted a decent return for a running back with an extensive injury history. Carolina received second, third, and fourth-round picks in 2023 and a 2024 fifth-round selection for his services, which is a smart decision to make for a rebuilding team. McCaffrey would not have helped this flawed team make the playoffs, so offloading him for draft capital was the right decision in a vacuum.
The Bryce Young draft trade probably would have earned the spot on this list if the Panthers quarterback hadn’t shown life in the back half of 2024. While they still paid a high price to acquire the first-overall pick, you can’t overpay for a franchise quarterback. The jury is still out on whether or not Young can become a true franchise cornerstone, but he has the pieces to succeed in 2025. Hopefully, he can live up to his pre-draft promise and build on his strong finish to the season. If he crashes and burns, he’ll overtake Little on this list.
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