Carolina Panthers draft: What is the problem with Mac Jones?
By Dean Jones
Will the Carolina Panthers draft Mac Jones?
Owner David Tepper is after an electrifying quarterback that can boost the organization on and off the field. Mac Jones doesn’t fall into this category and it would be a jaw-dropping pick if they pulled the trigger at No. 8 overall.
If they don’t get one of the top four, that’s something people are willing to live with. But if the Carolina Panthers draft Jones at what looks to be a significant reach, then that’s where the problem will emerge.
Jones might be a capable starter for all we know. However, the Panthers are after a little bit more.
There are some concerns where mobility is concerned when Jones comes up against speedier edge rushers playing behind a line that won’t protect nearly as well as the one he enjoyed at Alabama. Carolina saw enough of an accurate pocket passer unwilling to launch the ball downfield last year with Teddy Bridgewater and drafting someone with a similar sort of outlook could set a talented roster back years.
Carolina best be prepared for the backlash they’d receive for taking Jones, who is a player that might be available in the mid-to-late first round depending on how the draft develops.
Couple this with picking the quarterback over the likes of Penei Sewell, Rashawn Slater, or Patrick Surtain, and it has all the makings of a franchise-altering move with huge ramifications. One thing is for sure, the Panthers cannot afford to get their next quarterback move wrong.