Panthers mailbag: Is Kenny Pickett to Carolina at No. 6 real or just talk?
.JPG "National Team quarterback Kenny Pickett of Pittsburgh (8) runs through drills during practice for the Senior Bowl NCAA college football game Thursday, Feb. 3, 2022, in Mobile, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)")
The wait is almost over. The 2022 NFL draft is just two days away.
And if you’re like us, it can’t come any quicker. As a reminder, the Panthers pick sixth and don’t have another pick until the fourth round.
Understandably, this week’s mailbag centered on the draft, but we also had a few other interesting questions.
We’re here to answer them.
@ATh2o88 asks: After hearing the Panthers are high on Cross, and rumors that few teams have Cross as the No. 1 tackle, do you think the Panthers would take Cross over Evan Neal at 6 if both are there?
All of my reporting indicates that the Panthers love Evan Neal and really like Charles Cross.
Most draft analysts view Neal as either the best or second-best offensive tackle in this draft. He could go first overall to the Jaguars, though based on recent reports, that seems unlikely.
So grabbing Neal at six would be a steal for the Panthers.
Some scouts I’ve talked to view Cross at six as a slight reach, better suited somewhere between 9-12 range. So if it came down to it, and both were on the board at No. 6, I expect the Panthers to take Neal.
When Panthers general manager said at the combine that they would not pass up on a franchise-type player, Neal was the type of player he was referring to.
— Jonathan M. Alexander
@young_thuggha: Do you see a realistic scenario where Matt Rhule is the head coach in 2023?
If “possible” can serve as a synonym for “realistic” then yes. There is a possible scenario where Matt Rhule is the Panthers head coach entering 2023.
Winning solves everything. That is not cliche in professional sports. It’s a fact. If Rhule wins games, Carolina finishes above .500 and flirts with playoff contention, then owner David Tepper would consider bringing Rhule back.
That all sounds good. But digging deeper into your question means examining the NFC. Starting in the NFC South, only Tampa Bay is likely to make the playoffs. Tom Brady’s return re-opened the Buccaneers’ Super Bowl window. They are heavy favorites to three-peat as division champions. But it’s up in the air after that.
New Orleans has +175 odds (bet $100 to make $175) to make the playoffs. The Panthers are -900 to not make the playoffs while Atlanta is -1000 to not reach the postseason. Vegas does not think the Saints, Carolina or Atlanta are likely to make the playoffs.
Taking a wider view of the NFC, it’s a weaker conference than last year. The Rams lost Von Miller and Odell Beckham Jr. Green Bay is without Davante Adams. The 49ers may have to trade Deboo Samuel. Russell Wilson left Seattle. The Cowboys traded their No. 1 receiver, Amari Cooper, to Cleveland. And the NFC East remains mediocre.
For Carolina to make a playoff run, the Panthers must reduce their turnovers from last year. In 2021, the Panthers had 29 giveaways, tied for second-most in the NFL. If they find a quarterback who can cut that number in half while executing offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo’s scheme, then Carolina should have a chance at winning more games than last year.
— Ellis L. Williams
@OnlyPai09549745 asks: Is Kenny Pickett at six just talk or real?
I’ve said this on podcasts before and I’ll say this here, I’d be shocked if the Panthers choose Pickett at six.
And it’s not because they don’t like Pickett. I think there are some who think highly of the quarterback from Pittsburgh. But I also get the sense that it’s understood within the organization that taking him at six is a reach.
He might be the quarterback most ready to start Day 1, but his ceiling isn’t quite as high as a quarterback like Malik Willis. This seems to be the overwhelming sentiment around the league.
And just because Rhule recruited Pickett to Temple doesn’t mean Carolina will pass up on better players for him in the NFL.
I get the sense that the Panthers have higher grades on the top tackles than they do the quarterbacks.
— JMA
Now that all the Panthers coaching parts are in place do you think we have upgraded coaching, remained the same or downgraded?
The Panthers are a much more experienced coaching staff than they were a year ago.
Starting with their offensive coordinator, McAdoo will reshape the passing game. Last season, Carolina ranked 31st in passing according to Football Outsiders DVOA metric. (DVOA measures a team’s efficiency by comparing success on every single play to a league average based on situation and opponent). Over his 16-year NFL coaching career, McAdoo’s system has helped manufacture efficient, high-volume passing seasons out of Aaron Rodgers, Eli Manning and, most recently, Dak Prescott.
At all three stops (Green Bay, New York and Dallas), McAdoo installed a high-tempo west-coast system predicated on shotgun throws, quick deliveries and playmaking opportunities. Let’s focus on his time in New York since that’s where he had the most influence as offensive coordinator and eventually head coach.
Equipped with Manning and a young Odell Beckham Jr., McAdoo called plays for the Giants’ offense in 2014 and 2015, leading to two explosive seasons for OBJ, including rookie of the year honors in 2014.
Christian McCaffrey, DJ Moore and Robby Anderson should all benefit from this new system.
The offensive line has also been reshaped. Offensive line coach James Campen coached seven Pro Bowl linemen during his time in Green Bay while scheming pass protections for quarterbacks Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers. He and McAdoo won Super Bowl XLIV together. In 2018, Campen coached left tackle David Bakhtiari to an AP First-Team All-Pro selection.
While with the Packers, Campen helped produce six different Pro Bowl offensive linemen, including Bakhtiari, T.J. Lang and Jeff Saturday. He also worked with new guard Austin Corbett in 2019 when both were in Cleveland. Signing Corbett and Bradly Bozeman provide instant interior creditability.
If the Panthers don’t add a tackle between now and training camp, the projected starting lineup is likely Brady Christensen (LT), Michael Jordan or Bradley Bozeman (LG), Pat Elflein (C), Corbett (RG) and Taylor Moton (RT). That lineup is better than last year. Christensen and Bozeman provide valuable depth and flexibility, which should continue to keep the team’s options open.
Defensively, Phil Snow recently raved about the new ideas defensive back coach Steve Wilks and defensive line coach are bringing to the defense. Wilks wants safety Jeremy Chinn to play less linebacker and more safety. Defensive line coach Paul Pasqualoni has more than 40 years of total coaching experience and 10 seasons in the NFL. He spent 17 years as a Division 1 coach, 14 years at Syracuse, and another three with Connecticut.
— ELW
@TylerLytle8 asks: Hmm … I’m curious to know what’s the next steps for the headquarters? Maybe moving somewhere near Charlotte now?
I think a lot of people are curious about that.
As Scott Fowler reported, the facility in Rock Hill is dead. So the next step is for them to figure out what they’ll do with the existing structure in the city and what to do with the land Tepper has purchased.
As for what’s next for a Panthers headquarters, that’s a little more complicated. It would seem that the most logical thing is to move a headquarters back to Charlotte, and I’m sure city, county and state officials would love to bring the revenue here.
So far, there have not been any discussions between the Panthers and Charlotte.
And the Panthers, if they choose to build a headquarters in Charlotte now, may run into issues there.
Will the Charlotte City Council be willing to spend the same money South Carolina agreed to before the deal broke down? It doesn’t appear that way.
But I don’t think anyone knows what’s next at the moment. It’s still fresh.
— JMA
@imthomasbray asks: Would the panthers take “KT” over a QB at No. 6 if all tackles were gone?
I assume you’re referring to Kayvon Thibodeaux. That’s an interesting one.
What I’ll say is I don’t think all the top tackles will be gone by the time the Panthers pick at six. And I don’t even think Thibodeaux will be there.
But if he is, I’m sure they’ll consider it. What I know is there are some in the organization who view Thibodeaux as a player with top-10 talent, who has a reputation of being high maintenance.
Does he fit “the brand,” the Panthers have tried to implement? I’m not sure.
At the same time, drafting a quarterback at six is a reach. I think it’d be a hard decision with a lot of varying opinions. I’d love to be a fly on the wall if that were to happen.
— JMA
This story was originally published April 26, 2022 at 6:00 AM.
