4 potential Panthers draft targets who saw their stock rise in Week 2
By Dean Jones
Trevor Lawrence – Clemson (QB)
Make no mistake about it, Trevor Lawrence is going to be the No. 1 overall pick in 2021. The quarterback has franchise-changing potential and hit the ground running in no uncertain terms when Clemson took the field for the first time on Saturday.
Lawrence is keen to make the most out of his final college season before becoming the highest-profile signal-caller to enter the NFL in some time. The player demonstrated his exceptional ability during the Tigers’ opening weekend win over Wake Forest and was instrumental in the National Championship favorite getting off on the right foot.
He completed 22 of 28 pass attempts (78.8 percent) to record 351 yards, one touchdown, no interceptions, and a quarterback rating of 88.7. If NFL scouts were wondering whether Lawrence was going to make even greater strides in 2020, they might already have their answer.
Whether the Carolina Panthers are going to be in a position to take Lawrence is another matter entirely. They did show some promise in their Week 1 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders and it appears that this new-look roster isn’t going to be the NFL’s worst by any stretch of the imagination.
That would formally put them out of the Lawrence sweepstakes. And free-agent signing Teddy Bridgewater proved more than capable of leading this team going forward.
That being said, if the Panthers are selecting No. 1 overall, the pressure to take Lawrence will be immense. He can make every throw and has appeared ready for the next level from his first college campaign under center.