What things must Matt Corral do in pursuit of beating out Sam Darnold for the starting quarterback job on the Carolina Panthers in 2022?
After the Carolina Panthers opted to bide their time rather than reach for a quarterback at No. 6 overall in the 2022 NFL Draft, they got their guy. Matt Corral was reportedly their top signal-caller and a slight move up the pecking order resulted in the prospect coming on board in the third round, which could end up being supreme value when it’s all said and done.
This pick was done with the long-term in mind, according to general manager Scott Fitterer and head coach Matt Rhule during their post-draft presser. However, one cannot look at Sam Darnold‘s status and not think the Ole Miss product doesn’t have a real chance of earning the starting job from Week 1.
It is a lofty target to aim for, obviously. Especially considering Darnold has four years of experience compared to the rookie, no matter how bad it might have been.
But there is no doubt Corral will fancy his chances providing everything goes according to plan throughout the upcoming preparation period.
Carolina should keep their options open and treat training camp as a true battle between Corral and Darnold for the top job. Something that might even bring more from the former No. 3 overall selection along the way.
This will be nothing short of fascinating in the coming months. Here are four things Corral must do to unseat Darnold as the team’s starting quarterback in 2022.