There will be hundreds, even thousands of mock drafts for fans to digest between now and draft day. Most of them will turn out to be nothing but fun, idle speculation. Some are worth paying attention to though and Mel Kiper’s first mock of the year is always at the top of the list.
Specifically, the Panthers selected North Dakota State quarterback Trey Lance at No. 8 overall in Kiper’s first 2021 mock at ESPN. Here’s how he explained the pick.
“If you’re surprised that I’m thinking quarterback here, don’t be. Teddy Bridgewater could be the starter again for the Panthers in 2021, but his contract shows they’re not committed to him long term. Coach Matt Rhule could go after an intriguing signal-caller in Lance, who played only one game last season. With only 17 career starts — none against an FBS opponent — he is going to be a wild card in this draft. His 2019 season was just so, so impressive, though, and I think a team could fall in love with him in this range.”
The logic here is sound. Everything Rhule and team owner David Tepper have said this offseason indicates they’re looking to add another quarterback, if not necessarily with their first-round pick.
Lance is generally considered the fourth-best QB prospect in this class behind Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields and Zach Wilson.
Aside from Lawrence none of them are guaranteed to work out at the next level, so this would qualify as a gamble. It’s one worth taking, though. Until the Panthers find their franchise QB of the future they have no choice but to keep looking.
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