5 Carolina Panthers on the hot seat following 2022 NFL Draft

Ben McAdoo – Carolina Panthers OC

There was reportedly some conflict within the draft war room about which direction the Carolina Panthers should go at the quarterback position. Finding a potential upgrade on Sam Darnold was a necessity for the organization at some stage during the three-day process, but whether that would be via a college prospect or a veteran in the trade market was a hot topic of debate.

Some influential figures within the Panthers wanted the team to pull the trigger on Baker Mayfield, the former No. 1 overall selection that is now surplus to requirements after the Cleveland Browns traded for Deshaun Watson.

However, the influence of Ben McAdoo resulted in Carolina shifting its train of thought and moving up the pecking order to draft Ole Miss product Matt Corral at No. 94 overall.

The offensive coordinator is respected when it comes to quarterback evaluation. General manager Scott Fitterer also revealed that Corral would probably not be a Panther had it not been for McAdoo’s voice in the process.

This does pile additional pressure on McAdoo to get the rookie up to speed quickly. He also has to somehow try and turn Darnold’s career around – something that might be unattainable based on what we’ve witnessed over the last four years.

If McAdoo can do this, then it will benefit the Panthers enormously. Failure might not end up reflecting well on the former New York Giants head coach.