4 Carolina Panthers players trending towards draft bust status
By Dean Jones
Which Carolina Panthers players are trending towards becoming NFL draft busts following a disappointing 2021 season for the franchise?
Finding the right reinforcements from the NFL Draft can make or break an organization. The Carolina Panthers have enjoyed some real success with their incoming recruits in recent years and if Matt Rhule wants to stand any chance of getting this team on an upward curve in 2022, then it’s vital those in power get their selections right later this spring.
Having Scott Fitterer on board certainly helps. The respected front office figure generated some positive headlines for his movement up and down the draft in 2021, with the general manager coming to Carolina after becoming a leading figure behind the scenes on the Seattle Seahawks with great success.
Identifying prestigious talent and diamonds in the rough later on in the draft is a fine art. And one doesn’t have to look hard throughout NFL history to see what happens when a team makes the wrong move.
For every Peyton Manning, Patrick Mahomes, and Andrew Luck, there is a Ryan Leaf, JaMarcus Russell, or Mitchell Trubisky. Handing in the wrong choice has the scope to set a team back years and with no Day 2 pick to speak of this time around, the Panthers have to make sure every prospect they decide to take is a home run.
That’s a lot of pressure, obviously. But the stakes are really that high in Carolina and another offseason of rash decisions could lead to significant changes next year.
Without further ado, here are four Panthers players trending towards draft bust status – with some already there, in all honesty.