Point: The Panthers have to draft a first-round QB. A Kenny Pickett could fix a lot
.JPG "Pittsburgh quarterback Kenny Pickett is an ACC champion and could give the Carolina Panthers the foundation they need for the future.")
If you go back and look at the past 18 Super Bowl winners, you’ll notice that 16 of them had something in common.
From Tom Brady to Peyton Manning, to Russell Wilson and Patrick Mahomes, they were all led by a franchise quarterback.
That’s what the Panthers are missing, and until they get that, they’ll be stuck in the same place they’ve been the past three years: With little hope.
That’s why Carolina must take a quarterback in the 2022 NFL draft. I know what you’re thinking. Most draft experts say this draft is rich with offensive lineman and short on quarterbacks.
That’s true. And it’s why the Panthers should have drafted a quarterback in 2021. (Both Mac Jones and Justin Fields were both there when Carolina picked.)
But what else do they have to lose?
Their experiments with quarterbacks Teddy Bridgewater, Sam Darnold and now Cam Newton haven’t worked out. It’s time to fix it.
Think about this: In the past 31 games, the Panthers have gotten only 28 passing touchdowns out of their quarterbacks. Meanwhile, they’ve combined for 35 interceptions during that span.
That’s not winning football.
Panthers coach Matt Rhule’s job is on the line. Fans are losing interest. Year 3 is where the Panthers need to start winning no matter what obstacles they face.
And there are few things that inspire hope more in a franchise than a quarterback.
The Panthers won’t fix it in free agency. The best quarterbacks on the 2022 free-agent market include Jameis Winston, who will be coming off a torn ACL, and Bridgewater. And we know that reunion isn’t happening.
The draft appears to be the only option.
This may be a gamble, but I’m more comfortable with this one than the one Panthers took when they traded away 2022 second- and fourth-round picks and 2021 sixth-round selection to the Jets for Darnold, who in his first three years of NFL experience had only proved he was mistake-prone.
More on those lost picks in a moment.
My colleague Ellis Williams makes a great point and he’s right. Offensive line is so important and you can’t win without a good one.
But that this draft is rich with offensive linemen means the Panthers can get one in a later round, and perhaps another in free agency.
What they probably can’t get in a later round is a future franchise quarterback.
According to the Dec. 15 mock draft from ESPN’s Todd McShay, the first quarterback he has coming off the board is Pitt’s Kenny Pickett. And that isn’t until the 12th pick.
He has five quarterbacks being drafted within the first 25 picks, including Ole Miss’ Matt Corral at No. 13, Liberty’s Malik Willis at No. 17, Cincinnati’s Desmond Ridder at No. 19 and North Carolina’s Sam Howell at No. 25.
If the draft happened today, the Panthers would pick seventh overall. A good quarterback is going to be available to them.
Also, remember the Panthers don’t have a second- or third-round pick. They gave those up in the trades for Darnold and cornerback C.J. Henderson, who hasn’t consistently played like a former first-rounder.
If the Panthers can find a potential desperate suitor and trade back for one of those quarterbacks, perhaps they can recoup one of those picks and still draft their quarterback in the middle of the first round.
What the Panthers absolutely cannot do next season is start Darnold, who will return on an $18.9 million option. They need a long-term solution to fix this franchise.
And that’s by drafting your future franchise quarterback.
