7 pros and cons to the Carolina Panthers drafting Carson Strong in 2022
By Brian Emory
Limited mobility
One of the most glaring weaknesses with Carson Strong’s game is his lack of mobility. The injuries certainly haven’t helped here, but he just does not offer much elusiveness within the pocket.
While he demonstrates impressive pocket awareness and navigation, Strong often succumbs to pressure because he doesn’t have the mobility and athleticism to work his way out of daunting situations.
As a junior, Strong was sacked 37 times which was more than three times per game. Few plays can be more detrimental to an offensive series than sacks.
Also, considering Strong’s injury history it is of the utmost importance to keep him upright. Something the Carolina Panthers haven’t been able to do with a terrible offensive line in 2021.
It is likely that Strong will even have more difficulties evading pressure against the stronger, faster, and more athletic edge rushers of the NFL. This is why if Carolina does happen to invest in Strong, they have to make significant improvements to the offensive line first.
Whether this comes via free agency or earlier in the draft, if you want Strong to get meaningful playing time as a rookie it would be deeply unfair to do so without serious improvements to the protection.
Failing to do so could place him in a dangerous situation.