5 quarterbacks the Panthers could still select in the 2021 NFL Draft

Ian Book – Notre Dame

Realistically speaking, if the Carolina Panthers are going to look at taking a quarterback prospect in the 2021 NFL Draft, it won’t be as high as where Kyle Trask and Kellen Mond are probably going to go. Taking a lower-round player with some upside would be the smarter move considering needs elsewhere after Sam Darnold’s arrival, which could bring someone like Ian Book into the equation.

The Notre Dame signal-caller is definitely a work in progress once he gets to the next level. He leaves the Fighting Irish as one of their best-ever quarterbacks from a statistical standpoint, with Book accumulating 8,948 passing yards, 72 touchdowns, a 63.8 percent completion percentage, and 20 interceptions over his four-year stint with the program.

Although he’s a little undersized compared to your stereotypical NFL quarterback, the likes of Russell Wilson, Drew Brees, and Kyler Murray have proven in recent years that this is just a small stumbling block if the talent is there. It would be a huge surprise if Book went on to achieve anything like this trio. But if the Panthers see something in him others don’t, he could be worth a flier with one of their later picks once other positional groups have been addressed.

There isn’t anything in the way of pressure on Book’s shoulders to arrive somewhere and start from Day 1. This might be something in his favor, but there is much work to be done from a coaching standpoint for any team taking him on.