3 red flags if the Carolina Panthers draft a quarterback in 2022

Carolina Panthers won’t be looking at the bigger picture

Drafting a quarterback during the third year of a head coach’s reign is not exactly the norm. The Carolina Panthers are clearly investigating this potential option, which is the clearest sign yet that things are not exactly going to plan for Matt Rhule and other influential figures within the organization.

This should have been done a lot sooner. Gambling on veteran players who may or may not work out twice has come back to haunt them, so there are some who think that they should ride with their current options, maybe bring back Cam Newton, or even trade for someone like Jimmy Garoppolo if the price is right.

It’s a mess and not ideal, obviously. But drafting a signal-caller from this particular class indicates that the Panthers are not looking at the bigger picture.

The 2023 group is expected to be one of the deepest in recent memory. One could make a case right now for eight or nine quarterbacks being under first-round consideration, which is ultimately dependent on how they perform throughout their final seasons in college.

Selecting a prospect this year isn’t guaranteed to move the needle. If the Panthers don’t progress, then it might lead to a coaching change that brings them back to square one.

There’s no guarantee that any quarterback next year will work out better. But one could also make a strong case for Rhule not deserving the opportunity to bring in a new signal-caller from the college ranks after failing to do so previously when he had the chance.