4 biggest 2022 draft priorities for the Carolina Panthers through Week 5

Offensive Line

My gut tells me that David Tepper and Scott Fitterer will make a push for some of the top free agents available this offseason, mainly at the left guard slot. But with younger prospects such as Dennis Daley and Brady Christensen on the upswing, it makes more sense for the Carolina Panthers to continue building for the future.

The main takeaway from the Dallas Cowboys game was that an average line isn’t good enough when your star running back isn’t available to draw attention to the outside.

One of Sam Darnold’s interceptions could be attributed to the pocket collapsing way too quickly, and his play seemed skittish afterward, much like his time with the New York Jets.

The investments Carolina made in the signal-caller so far are paying off, and one suspects if Penei Sewell had fallen one more spot to No. 8 in the previous draft, the Panthers would have absolutely taken him.

However, one can have no complaints here about Horn though, but it’s not too late to get started, right?

Alabama’s dominant tackle Evan Neal figures to be the top offensive lineman in the upcoming draft. He might be out of range if Carolina continues to play well, but we all know how much our front office loves trades.

If the team doesn’t move up, or if Neal doesn’t slide, other names to keep an eye on are Kenyon Green (Texas A&M), Darian Kinnard (Kentucky), Tyler Linderbaum (Iowa), or Zion Johnson (Boston College).