4 Carolina Panthers players trending towards draft bust status
By Dean Jones
Sam Darnold – Carolina Panthers QB
- Round No. 1 (No. 3 overall) – 2018 NFL Draft
Another big gamble at the most important position on the field failed to pay off as expected for the Carolina Panthers in 2021. The team gave up three draft selections to the New York Jets for Sam Darnold, who had some enticing skills that Matt Rhule and his staff thought would excel in a different environment.
Darnold was like a rabbit in the headlights over his three-year stint at MetLife Stadium. While there were other circumstances that played a role in this, the same complications surfaced in Carolina despite the USC product getting off to a hot start.
A poor offensive line and Christian McCaffrey going down with another injury didn’t help. But the processing, footwork, and decision-making problems that have blighted Darnold’s career resurfaced and came back to bite the Panthers in a big way.
Carolina could be forced to go with Darnold for another season after picking up his fifth-year option with a guaranteed $18.85 million. It’s hard to imagine another organization taking on this contract given how little he’s shown since arriving in the league – which makes the decision to trigger this contract clause even more bemusing.
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Even if Darnold does start again and turn things around with improved protection in front of him, he’s unlikely to ever reach the ceiling of a No. 3 overall selection. And who knows, the Panthers might decide to end this experiment ahead of time if the right player comes along this offseason.