Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo might’ve said a little too much in his first press conference with the organization two weeks ago. But he didn’t say enough to completely tip his team’s hand.
On Friday night, the Panthers traded up into the third round of the 2022 NFL draft to select Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral. And that bold move, according to general manager Scott Fitterer, was powered by the trust Carolina had in McAdoo’s eye for talent under center.
“Ben has done a really good job over the years evaluating quarterbacks,” said Fitterer, who spoke with WNFZ’s The Clubhouse with Kyle Bailey on Monday. “We’ve seen his old reports, and they’re timestamped. And he’s very accurate in terms of his projection.”
That’s no lie. Back in 2017—as reported by ESPN’s Anita Marks—McAdoo, who was then the head coach of the New York Giants, reportedly made a spirited push to draft Texas Tech University’s Patrick Mahomes.
He’d prove his knowhow again the next year, nailing the 2018 quarterback class in an almost eerily spot-on manner. In an interview with the New York Post prior to the draft itself, McAdoo ranked that incoming group as such: Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Sam Darnold, Josh Rosen, Mason Rudolph, Baker Mayfield.
Fitterer then went on to say that they heavily considered the opinion of McAdoo, who obviously had a solid feeling on Corral.
“So when it got to this year’s class, we did lean on him and his expertise,” he added. “And he really likes Matt Corral’s quick release, his mobility in the pocket, his ability to see the field. So, he had a strong conviction on him and Ben McAdoo’s a big reason why Matt is here.”
Well, now we know who was in the batter’s box when the Panthers took their swing this weekend.
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