The Panthers’ 3 best NFL draft scenarios tonight and what they should do with each
Sit back. Relax. Enjoy.
Draft day is finally here.
The Carolina Panthers have six picks in the 2022 NFL draft, including the sixth overall pick. Their top needs include offensive tackle, quarterback and edge rusher.
What the Panthers do in this draft will largely depend on how the first five picks go.
Picks one through five are, in order, the Jaguars, Lions, Texans, Jets and Giants.
“Usually you know who the first pick will be or have a very good idea,” Panthers general manager Scott Fitterer said Tuesday. “It’s really up in the air.”
The only thing that seems certain is that former Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson won’t be there at six.
The Panthers have a number of directions they could go, whether that’s trading down, drafting a quarterback, offensive lineman and more. All are on the table.
The Observer’s Panthers beat reporters and columnist break down their first-round choices for the Panthers.
Panthers draft an offensive tackle
If one of the three top tackles are on the board then the Panthers have a no-brainer decision.
Evan Neal (Alabama), Ikem Ekwonu (NC State) and Charles Cross are all blue-chip, can’t-miss prospects who would complete the Panthers’ offensive line rebuild.
Most scouts and executives I’ve talked to around the league consider Ekwonu the most complete option. He’s the most athletic, a freak in the run game and plays with a mean streak. One scout told me Ekwonu would be best starting his first few years at guard before taking over a tackle spot.
Considering the Panthers have flexibility across their offensive line, stating Brady Christensen at tackle and Ekwonu at guard would work. Neal is the most physically imposing option. At 6-foot-7, 350 pounds, he has size few offer. Some scouts think he is too tall, which shows up on tape when he overextends or falls over.
His arms are not the longest in his class; that honor belongs to Cross. Cross played only 11 pass-blocking snaps in 2019 before Mike Leach took over at Mississippi State. He’s logged over 1,000 pass-blocking reps since playing in an air-raid offense. He has a lot to learn as a run blocker but that can be taught.
All three of these prospects fill a key need. The only question is will one of them be there when Carolina selects at No. 6?
— Ellis L. Williams
Panthers draft the best available player
When you draft the best available player, good things happen.
The Panthers didn’t need a middle linebacker when they drafted Luke Kuechly ninth overall in 2012, but he was arguably the best player in that draft and will likely be a Hall of Famer when his time comes. He was the one of the major pieces, who helped the Panthers become Super Bowl team in 2015.
The same goes for defensive lineman Brian Burns. The Panthers didn’t need one when they drafted him in 2019, and look what he’s done: Pro Bowl in Year 3.
The Panthers should draft whichever player is highest on their board when it’s time for them to draft at six, whether that’s safety, defensive line or offensive line.
Don’t worry. The best available player won’t be a running back, tight end or long snapper.
But accumulating the best talent early in drafts helps win games, not reaching and filling in holes. Fill in the gaps with free agency. While there are some things to like about the quarterbacks, few are high on them. So why take the gamble? So far, their track record hasn’t been great.
Hopefully for the Panthers one of the top two offensive tackles — Ikem Ekwonu (N.C. State or Evan Neal (Alabama) — falls to six.
But if Ekwonu, Neal and Charles Cross (Mississippi State) are all off the board, then the Panthers should move offensive lineman Brady Christensen to left tackle and choose the best available, even if that means drafting another defensive player.
— Jonathan M. Alexander
Panthers draft Malik Willis at No. 6
As we’ve seen over and over with the Panthers ever since Cam Newton got on the back end of his career and started to get hurt, NFL teams have 22 starters and 21 of them are part of the supporting cast.
Then there’s the quarterback. Without a really good one, you’re never going to get where you want to go.
Sure, the Panthers could pick an offensive tackle with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft and decide that Sam Darnold will turn into a better starter if he just gets some more time.
But is that really the move for a team with a disappointed fan base, three straight five-win seasons and a notable lack of star power?
It’s not.
That’s why I’m advocating that the Panthers draft Liberty quarterback Malik Willis at No. 6. I’d take him in a trade-back scenario, too, although that seems risky — when it’s all said and done, quarterbacks almost always rise on the board in the final days and I bet Willis doesn’t get out of the top 10.
Willis may not pan out, but he might. He can run and throw and lead. He might end up being the Panthers’ version of Josh Allen, and he would invigorate a team that needs some juice. He wouldn’t be ready to start on Day 1, but so what? This is a long-term move — and a worthy gamble for a team that has been searching for the right fit at QB for years now.
— Scott Fowler
