4 Carolina Panthers on the hot seat after 2021 NFL Draft picks
By Dean Jones
Sam Darnold – Carolina Panthers QB
The Carolina Panthers are all-in on Sam Darnold. As head coach Matt Rhule said, they didn’t bring in the quarterback from the New York Jets not to give him every chance of proving he can be a productive NFL starter, so putting the right pieces around the former USC star was of critical importance.
One thing is for sure, there will be no excuses for Darnold in 2021. He has a passing attack that is nothing short of stacked with talent and providing his protection on the offensive line holds up sufficiently, it’s going to come down to whether the signal-caller has enough in his locker to get the job done.
Realistically speaking, Darnold doesn’t have to do too much.
He has two prolific weapons on the outside in D.J. Moore and Robby Anderson, three rotational wideouts who can make an impact in David Moore, Terrace Marshall Jr., and Shi Smith, in addition to the NFL’s best dual-threat running back in Christian McCaffrey returning to full health.
Couple this with two solid tight ends in Dan Arnold and intriguing third-round selection Tommy Tremble, and Darnold has everything going for him. The additions of Brady Christensen and Deonte Brown to the offensive line should also assist, with another veteran coming in via free agency not entirely out of the question.
Passing on Justin Fields was a big leap of faith by the Panthers. If Darnold doesn’t repay them, it could have some huge consequences.