5 potential draft targets for Panthers to keep an eye on for 2022
By Dean Jones
Sam Howell – QB (North Carolina)
The Carolina Panthers placed a tremendous amount of faith in Sam Darnold by passing on Justin Fields at No. 8 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. They are clearly giving the signal-caller a chance to make a better go of things following his trade from the New York Jets, but if the former USC star cannot reach the level expected with far superior talent around him, it could see the organization look for a viable alternative next year.
Much will depend on what sort of record Carolina ends up with, which will ultimately determine what sort of options are available. The 2022 quarterback class doesn’t appear to be the strongest by any stretch of the imagination, but Sam Howell might be the best of the bunch heading into the upcoming campaign.
Howell would undoubtedly be a popular pick coming out of North Carolina, where he starred for the Tarheels in 2020. The prospect made the most out of an abundance of weapons around him to throw for 3,586 yards, 30 touchdowns, and just seven interceptions from 12 games.
Although Howell is a leading candidate for the Heisman Trophy next year, he will be without Javonte Williams, Dyami Brown, Michael Carter, and Dazz Newsome, who all managed to hear their name called during the draft.
Others will need to step up in their absence. So it will be interesting to see how the potential No. 1 overall selection gets on without his key core of offensive talent.