Oct 3, 2021; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys safety Jayron Kearse (27) and cornerback Trevon Diggs (7) against the Carolina Panthers at AT&T Stadium. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Panthers named potential trade partner for Cowboys' interception machine

Originally posted on Carolina Panthers on SI
By Tim Weaver | Last updated May 24, 2025 9:30 AM ET

The biggest trend going for the Carolina Panthers right now is speculation that they could be in the market to trade for a major upgrade at cornerback. Superstar Jalen Ramsey from the Miami Dolphins has previously played for Carolina defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, making him the most-popular name at corner connected to the Panthers. Jaire Alexander of the Green Bay Packers is another star cornerback who's been linked to Carolina.

Today we have a new name to pick out of the hat, courtesy of David Latham from Last Word on Sports. His new piece suggests that if the Cowboys give Micah Parsons that outlandish contract extension that he's looking for, it may force them to trade cornerback Trevon Diggs.

If that's the case, then Latham has the Panthers listed as one of four potential trade partners for Jerry Jones, also including the Los Angeles Chargers, Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs.

"The Carolina Panthers improved their defense in the offseason, but this still projects as one of the weaker units in the league. While Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson are an adequate starting duo, a Trevon Diggs trade could create one of the league’s better secondaries. Seeing as Carolina plays in a weak NFC South, Diggs’ presence could be enough to guide this team to an unlikely division championship."

Diggs would definitely qualify as a serious upgrade for the Panthers. A second-round pick by the Cowboys in the 2020 NFL draft, Diggs has put up a remarkable 20 interceptions and 63 pass breakups in just 58 career games so far. He led the league with 11 picks in 2021, earning first-team All-Pro honors for his efforts.

Then again, like a lot of talented ballhawks Diggs has a habit of gambling to make a play on the ball, and it can cost him some big plays. Pro Football Focus only had him graded out at 60.3 in coverage last season. By comparison, Jackson came in at 67.1 in that department.

Jackson isn't going to get the Panthers anything close to 11 interceptions, but he's also not going to give up nearly as many explosive gains.

While Diggs is undeniably more talented, the Donte Jackson experience should give Carolina plenty of pause to think about adding another high-risk, high-reward kind of cornerback. There are probably better options out there if the Panthers are indeed looking to deal for a corner upgrae.

This article first appeared on Carolina Panthers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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