4 prospects Panthers could reach for with their 2021 first-round pick
By Dean Jones
Mac Jones – QB (Alabama)
Whether fans like it or not, the Carolina Panthers will seriously consider taking Mac Jones at No. 8 overall if experts’ projections are to be believed. Some high-profile analysts have the Alabama signal-caller mocked to join Matt Rhule this spring, which would be a controversial move by the organization, to put it mildly.
This would cause an uproar among supporters, who would be faced with another prospect with a lack of mobility after weeks of pursuing and being linked to some of the best quarterbacks in the business.
That’s not to say Jones can’t play. His starring role in yet another National Championship for the Crimson Tide in 2020 was littered with memorable highlights, with the player also impressing Rhule and Carolina’s coaching staff at the Senior Bowl.
It’s hard not to look at this move and not see it as a reach. Considering the Panthers are reportedly looking at replacing Teddy Bridgewater due to “physical limitations“, what’s to say drafting Jones would be any better from what we’ve seen at the college level?
There are better options available than Jones.
But they might all be out of reach unless Carolina does something drastic.
If this is the case, the front office shouldn’t just take a quarterback for the sake of it. Jones would be a gamble that would determine the tenures of Rhule and general manager Scott Fitterer, with the prospect also facing a battle to win over a beleaguered fanbase who’d be less than enthused by his arrival.