Carolina Panthers Draft: Not having a top-5 pick isn’t all bad

Not having a top-five NFL Draft pick isn’t all bad for the Carolina Panthers.

The Carolina Panthers entered their Week 16 matchup with the Ron Rivera-led Washington Football Team with a 4-10 record, sitting at No. 4 in the 2021 NFL Draft. They would go on to win, thus moving back to the ninth entering Week 17’s season finale against the New Orleans Saints.

A large number of the Carolina Panthers’ fanbase was in an uproar over the win against Washington, mainly because it cost the team five spots in draft positioning and presumably, a shot at a top quarterback.

With Teddy Bridgewater‘s declining performance over the last half of the season, fans have been laying their hopes on his replacement being selected with the team’s first-round pick.

Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence is set to be the first selection of the draft to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Speculation that other top prospects such as Ohio State’s Justin Fields and Brigham Young University’s Zach Wilson will be gone by the time the Panthers are ready to select their first-round pick.

While the Panthers’ coaching staff values learning to win in late-December and early-January, fans are looking for an impact player to help the franchise become a consistent winner.

Something the Carolina Panthers have never been.