Panthers 2022 NFL mock draft: Needs shift after Week 1 of free agency
By Dean Jones
Which way could the Carolina Panthers go with their 2022 NFL Draft selections after their needs changed slightly following Week 1 of free agency?
It’s been a frantic week for the Carolina Panthers as 2022 free agency finally got underway. Some prominent veterans have left, the Deshaun Watson trade saga did not go in their favor, and the front office did a nice job of filling some real needs that should stand them in good stead moving forward.
Of course, this is just the start. The Panthers know that much more will be needed to stand any chance of mounting a postseason push next season – a task that’s been made extremely difficult with the news Tom Brady came out of retirement for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
There’s nothing the Panthers can do about that, obviously. Getting their own house in order is the best way for Carolina to achieve their objectives and needs have certainly changed thanks to some encouraging recruitment in recent days.
Using the Pro Football Focus simulator, we took a look at how the Panthers might approach their draft selections after Week 1 of free agency in our seven-round mock.
Round No. 1 (Trade)
Carolina Panthers trade down from No. 6 overall
The Carolina Panthers have one pick in the top-100 and face a long wait if they don’t trade down from No. 6 overall. There is an obvious temptation to select a quarterback or franchise left tackle and then bide their time, so it will be interesting to see which way general manager Scott Fitterer goes when the time comes.
In this scenario, the Panthers strike a deal with the New York Jets that gives them the No. 38 overall selection back that they gave up in the Sam Darnold trade. It also keeps them within the top-10, which cannot be overlooked given how much talent sits at the top end of this year’s class.