5 potential draft targets for Panthers to keep an eye on for 2022
By Dean Jones
Which college prospects might the Carolina Panthers want to keep an especially close eye on ahead of the 2022 NFL Draft?
Not long after the 2021 NFL Draft came to a conclusion, the speculation began regarding potential Carolina Panthers targets from the college ranks next year. This is obviously way too early for such assessments and there is a lot of football to be played before then, but that doesn’t stop people from wondering where the organization will be picking and who they might possibly target.
Obviously, there will be those like Trevor Lawrence who is cemented at the top of the draft and stay there. However, someone is also likely to emerge from absolutely nowhere like BYU quarterback Zach Wilson on their way to becoming a high-end pick.
Carolina’s talented scout team will be monitoring almost every prospect planning to enter the league in 2022 extremely closely. It’s never too early to start planning, but just what the Panthers will need from a talent standpoint by then is still undecided.
With this in mind, let’s take a look a five potential 2022 NFL Draft prospects on Carolina’s radar.
Carolina Panthers potential 2022 NFL Draft targets.
Prospect No. 1
Kayvon Thibodeaux – DE/OLB (Oregon)
This might not be the biggest need for the Carolina Panthers on the outside looking in. But Haason Reddick is on a one-year deal and the jury is still out as to whether Yetur Gross-Matos has enough in his locker to be a starting-caliber edge rusher after a rookie campaign frustrated by injuries.
Kayvon Thibodeaux is projected to be the best non-quarterback in the 2022 NFL Draft ahead of the new season and it’s not hard to see why. He is a ferocious presence that boasts all the explosiveness to be a dominant force once he gets to the next level.
It remains to be seen whether Thibodeaux will be best suited to playing with his hand in the dirt or standing up as an outside linebacker. Interested NFL teams will probably get a better indication during the 2022 campaign, but he is a prospect that the Panthers should be keeping a close eye on.