Quarterbacks the Panthers will watch at the Senior Bowl and what they’d bring Carolina
Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger retired on Thursday, ending his legendary 18-year career with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
His two Super Bowl victories and six Pro Bowls aside, Roethlisberger provided what every owner, coach, executive and fan desires in pro sports: Stability.
Similar stability — though much younger and mobile — encompasses the NFL playoffs. In the divisional round, the Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes and the Bills’ Josh Allen put on an all-timer that should be remembered as the “13-second game.” Joe Burrow carried the Bengals to the championship game despite being sacked a playoff-high nine times.
In the NFC, Matt Stafford validated the Rams going all in for him by dropping a 52-yard, game-winning pass to Cooper Kupp in overtime. The throw beat Tom Brady — possibly retiring the greatest of all time — and threw Tampa Bay’s stability into question.
Panthers fans long for the stability Jake Delhomme and Cam Newton brought to Carolina for a combined 15 years. But since coach Matt Rhule cut Newton two years ago, the Panthers have been chasing a coveted franchise quarterback. Teddy Bridgewater wasn’t it. Neither has been Sam Darnold.
Who is next? Perhaps it’s a veteran who will be made available once the new league year starts in March. Or, maybe one of the six young quarterbacks set to compete at the 2022 Senior Bowl this week is the answer.
The delicate evaluation process and tireless search for a franchise quarterback begin Monday with the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama. Top senior prospects from colleges around the country practice on two teams (National and American) during the week and then play Saturday at Hancock Whitney Stadium.
Here is a primer for the six signal-callers set to compete in the 2022 Senior Bowl.
Sam Howell, North Carolina
▪ 6-foot-1, 220 pounds
I’ll be in Mobile all week, and I cannot wait to see these prospects in person, starting with North Carolina quarterback Sam Howell. Admittedly, I don’t watch much college football. Covering the NFL is all-encompassing. Thus, the Senior Bowl provides clarity for the hours I’ve spent studying scouting reports and watching the scarce amount of game film available.
Howell is my second-most anticipated quarterback. Mostly because he reminds me of a less-talented Baker Mayfield. I hope I’m wrong and should know after viewing a few practices.
As a three-year starter, it’s concerning Howell’s completion percentage dropped four points from 68% as a junior to 62.5% this past season. I don’t like that his yards per attempt fell 2 yards. Stats aside, Howell demonstrates nice accuracy paired with a strong arm. His touch passes stood out on tape along with his anticipatory throws. He’s also capable of making full progressions reads.
He developed into a volume runner this season at North Carolina. I’m not sure that translates to the pros. Regardless, he’s intriguing. The eye test combined with what others think about him in Mobile will paint a much clearer picture of his pre-combine stock.
Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh
▪ 6-2, 225 pounds
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For a football guy who admittedly doesn’t consume much in-season college football, I cannot explain how fate put me in the stands of Bank of America Stadium for Kenny Pickett’s infamous fake-slide touchdown run. But I was there and will never forget that play. It happened so fast, demonstrating his creative and quick instincts usually reserved for running backs or receivers.
I left the ACC Championship thinking Pickett was the best athlete on the field. More impressively, he threw several dazzling balls while demonstrating command of Pitt’s offense regardless of tempo or situation.
Pickett is a terrific vertical passer who works off-script well. He makes things happen with his feet, either to throw or take off. He tends to make aggressive decisions that usually paid off but sometimes resulted in him putting the ball in harm’s way.
If he misses throws it’s usually high despite his upper and lower body consistently moving in unison.
I like how Pickett blossomed in his final year at Pitt. It shows he mastered an offense he’d been in since 2019. If he performs well this week then expect him to be the first quarterback selected in the draft, possibly by the Panthers at No. 6.
Desmond Ridder, Cincinnati
▪ 6-4, 215 pounds
The two times I saw Desmond Ridder play he didn’t perform well. He threw for less than 200 yards in both the AAC championship and college football semifinal. His arm talent still popped at times. His arm strength unlocks the entire field. As a runner, he showcases great athleticism and vision. He constantly would break tackles but, like Howell, that’s not what you want from a thinly built runner.
Ridder will have to showcase improved accuracy. His mechanics were inconsistent, which resulted in open receivers having to compete for contested balls. I’ll be watching for him to routinely hit his targets in stride, allowing them to thrive after the catch.
We’ll see if there is anything to learn about his pocket presence during what should be rather controlled practices. Sometimes he doesn’t feel pressure well, which stems from him holding on to the ball for too long. He may be the most creative thrower at the Senior Bowl, capable of slotting throws from all sorts of angles.
He needs a strong week of practice to start generating first-round buzz.
Carson Strong, Nevada
▪ 6-4, 215 pounds
All the quarterbacks in Mobile possess escapability except Carson Strong. Instead, he’s a traditional drop-back thrower, similar to Patriots quarterback Mac Jones. There is a lingering knee issue that teams will have to investigate for themselves. But if he’s fully healthy then Strong could become a darling for evaluators.
He had a ton of pre-snap responsibilities, demonstrating pro-level knowledge and command. As a consistent pocket passer, he quickly processed reads and clinically carved defenses. He throws a pretty seam ball and took advantage of his large targets at Nevada.
Scouts will want to see improved footwork. His feet were lazy and inconsistent at times. Since he isn’t an off-script player, he’d throw into bad situations with predetermined first-read throws.
A standout week from Strong could catapult him to QB 1.
Malik Willis, Liberty
▪ 6-1, 215 pounds
Malik Willis is the type of prospect football junkies sent YouTube highlights of to their friends.
He makes plays reminiscent of Lamar Jackson creating outside of the pocket. He is not the level of athlete of Jackson but can extend plays enough to give his receivers a chance to create secondary options.
Of all the quarterbacks, Willis has the most upside. A team or owner will fall in love with his traits while ignoring his underdeveloped fundamentals. As one scout put it “Willis is more of a thrower than a quarterback.”
That doesn’t mean he won’t blossom into a franchise talent. He just has a ways to go and should not be a Day 1 starter. Of all the Senior Bowl QBs, Willis threw the most interceptions this season.
Regardless, it’ll be all eyes on him this week.
Bailey Zappe, Western Kentucky
▪ 6-1, 220 pounds
Bailey Zappe will fight his easy conference reputation throughout the evaluation process. He broke many FBS records but did so against schools like Florida Atlantic, Marshall and Rice.
As a prospect, he delivers a quick and very catchable ball. He may have the fastest release in his class. Most interesting, his coach at Western Kentucky worked with Sam Darnold at USC and considers Zappe the most talented thrower he has been around.
Against better competition in Mobile, Zappe will have to show he belongs.
This story was originally published January 30, 2022 at 6:00 AM.
