Matt Corral wasn’t the first quarterback taken in the 2022 NFL draft. Heck, he wasn’t even the second or third.
But could the new Carolina Panthers passer be the first of this rookie class to get a crack under center? Draft Wire editor Luke Easterling believes there’s a solid chance he could be.
This week, Easterling took a dive into the expectations for each of the top quarterbacks from the draft. And even though Corral was taken after the likes of Kenny Pickett, Desmond Ridder and Malik Willis—his team’s particularly shaky situation at the position may earn him his nod before the rest.
“Barring a trade for someone like Jimmy Garappolo or Baker Mayfield, Corral might have the best chance to be the first rookie quarterback to start a game this season,” Easterling writes.
“Sam Darnold returns as Corral’s stiffest competition, and anyone who watched the Panthers last season knows that shouldn’t be much of a challenge to overcome. While Darnold has more experience at the pro level, and with head coach Matt Rhule’s offense, he’s still just as inconsistent as he was when he entered the league.”
As of now, the Panthers seem intent on not tripping over themselves to acquire one of Mayfield or Garoppolo. If that remains the case (and Darnold remains Darnold), then the third-round pick might get his shot relatively quickly.
The belief that head coach Matt Rhule is essentially hanging on by a thread here in 2022 also helps Corral’s eventual case. As Easterling goes on to note, a strong showing in training camp should go a long way into what’ll be an urgent season for this regime.
“Corral has promising physical traits, and his toughness and intangibles made him a respected leader among teammates and coaches,” he adds. “If he has a similar impact in training camp this year, the Panthers could easily hand him the starting job from Week 1 and see what they have, instead of wasting any more time with Darnold.”
Whatever the case may ultimately be, time is of the essence for many Panthers this season—for Rhule, for Darnold and perhaps for Corral.
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