7 prospects on offense Panthers should watch at 2022 Scouting Combine
By Dean Jones
Carolina Panthers should watch Kaleb Eleby
The Carolina Panthers have one draft pick in the first three rounds, so unless they trade down it appears unlikely those in power will gamble on a quarterback. That might change if Matt Rhule and his staff fall in love with someone like Kenny Pickett or Malik Willis, but there is also a chance the organization deals the selection in exchange for a veteran via the trade market.
If the second scenario comes to fruition, then it might be worth the Panthers picking up a development project later in the draft could be a solid call to make. Kaleb Eleby is an intriguing talent that came of age at Western Michigan in 2021 and could be a nice mid-round acquisition that could play a role in the long term.
Eleby completed 63.4 percent of his passes for 3,277 yards, 23 touchdowns, six interceptions, and a 156.8 passer efficiency rating last season to secure a creditable 74.5 grade from Pro Football Focus. The signal-caller is also a threat running the football, although we didn’t get much of a chance to see this at the college level.
Although expecting Eleby to be a Day 1 starter is asking too much, there is no shortage of confidence where the quarterback is concerned and he does have some useful traits that can be developed. His timing is good, the arm strength is there, and the standard of production is high once he gets into an early rhythm.
However, there are some processing issues and deep ball accuracy is also a concern. So the combine could be make-or-break for Eleby in terms of where exactly he’s drafted.