5 Panthers players who could be replaced during the 2022 NFL Draft

Sam Darnold – Carolina Panthers QB

There is no way that Sam Darnold will have a clear path to the Carolina Panthers starting quarterback job in 2022. His production during his first season following a high-profile trade from the New York Jets installed little confidence in his chances moving forward and had it not been for the player’s $18.85 million fully guaranteed contract, he might already be out of the door.

Darnold and P.J. Walker are the only options available to the Panthers under center right now. That is going to change, but whether it’s with a quarterback gamble at No. 6 overall, later in the draft, or via another veteran trade for Jimmy Garoppolo or Baker Mayfield remains to be seen.

The Panthers have to come out of the draft weekend with another alternative. Anything else would be nothing short of a failure and would leave more questions than answers.

It appears as if Darnold is taking everything in his stride. This is the second consecutive offseason where his future is up in the air, which should make the USC product more prepared for what’s to come.

Carolina will likely give Darnold the chance to develop under Ben McAdoo for no reason other than there has been little trade interest in the player this offseason. But if the Panthers end up starting him again, then it’s a gamble that could end up costing Matt Rhule his job.