‘Don’t be surprised’ if Carolina Panthers make desperate draft move

(Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports) Matt Rhule
(Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports) Matt Rhule /
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FanSided’s national NFL reporter Matt Verderame stated he would not be surprised if the Carolina Panthers made a desperate draft move given their predicament.

The rumor mill is swirling about the Carolina Panthers and exactly what they are going to do during the 2022 NFL Draft. Trades for Sam Darnold and C.J. Henderson have left the organization with just one selection in the top-100, which only heightens the urgency to get things right at No. 6 overall in pursuit of bringing this once-proud franchise back to prominence.

Carolina’s front office has done a nice job of strengthening problem areas that held the team back in 2021. Their offensive line should be much improved if they find a franchise left tackle at some stage, but the lingering cloud over the Panthers remains Darnold and a lack of production at the most integral position on the field.

It’s pretty obvious that the Panthers are looking to move on from Darnold, who failed to meet even lowly objectives throughout his first season under center. Their year-long pursuit of Deshaun Watson ended in failure and Russell Wilson also turned down the team’s advances in favor of a trade to the Denver Broncos.

Convincing a signal-caller with a no-trade clause that Carolina is the place for them has been an impossible task. Although one or two veteran pieces remain a possibility, perhaps going down the draft route is the best way for the Panthers to solidify the position long-term.

There is a big problem with that, according to most analysts. This class is not considered all that strong by any stretch, which means taking one so high is a make-or-break gamble that could go either way.

Time is a luxury Matt Rhule no longer has, one suspects. Two consecutive five-win seasons have piled on the pressure from Carolina’s fanbase and unless the head coach somehow turns things around in 2022, the calls to remove him from the equation will be deafening.

Carolina Panthers could make a desperate move during the 2022 NFL Draft

Desperate teams do desperate things. According to FanSided‘s national NFL reporter Matt Verderame via his weekly Stacking the Box column, don’t be surprised if the Panthers go down this questionable route when push comes to shove during the draft.

"“The Panthers will support Sam Darnold publicly — and they should — but they know the truth. Without a substantial upgrade, or at least the promise of one in a rookie quarterback showing growth throughout 2022, head coach Matt Rhule likely doesn’t have a fourth year. And, with ownership getting impatient, the Panthers must find a better option than Darnold soon. While no quarterback in this class is seen as worth the No. 6 overall pick, don’t be surprised if Carolina makes a desperate move, hoping to be proven right.”"

There is some momentum building where the likes of Malik Willis, Kenny Pickett, and Matt Corral are concerned. All three have been given first-round grades by the Panthers according to Jonathan Alexander of the Charlotte Observer, but whether that’s enough to take the plunge at No. 6 overall is a completely different ball game.

In an ideal world, Ikem Ekwonu or Evan Neal fall out of the top five. If one of the premier left tackles is still on the board, then it would be extremely difficult to pass up considering the doubts enveloping this quarterback group.

Riding with Darnold or someone else might not be in Carolina’s train of thought. But if things go south once again, then Rhule could be out of a job and the Panthers might just be in with a shot at landing an elite prospect from what’s expected to be a deep class of signal-callers in 2023.

Whichever way the Panthers go, it will come with franchise-altering ramifications.

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However, given the erratic nature of decisions regarding their quarterbacks under the current regime, absolutely nothing can be dismissed until something is confirmed one way or another.