2022 is a bad year to need a quarterback, especially if you’re looking for one in the draft. But that might not matter for the Carolina Panthers anymore.
We are almost one month into the new league year, with a handful of passers—some great and some not so great—having found their new homes. And that’s left the Panthers, who came into the offseason with Sam Darnold atop the depth chart, with Sam Darnold still atop the depth chart.
So if they haven’t found any competition for the underwhelming 24-year-old yet, how can they find it? Well, it could be with their sixth overall pick on April 28—a gung-ho approach one NFL executive believes is very much in the cards.
“They are hell-bent on getting a quarterback at all costs,” the individual told The Athletic‘s Mike Sando, who released a bevy of chatter surrounding each team’s moves thus far. “I would not be surprised if they took one in the draft, high.”
Being that this quarterback class is particularly weak, with no surefire talent having emerged with less than a month left until go-time, investing a high selection into such a gamble isn’t exactly the safest strategy. It’s even more dangerous considering the Panthers are not currently in control of any second or third-round picks this year.
If Carolina stays put at No. 6 and opts for a quarterback, the two favorites for that selection are Liberty University’s Malik Willis and University of Pittsburgh’s Kenny Pickett. Both, however, are two potentially risky and opposite ventures—with one possessing sky-high upside and no early assurance and the other having a relatively low ceiling, but a pro-ready makeup.
Either way, the Panthers will have to find some sort of solution under center. After all, that’s what they pay head coach Matt Rhule the big bucks for, right?
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