3 key ways Cam Newton could help the Carolina Panthers in 2022
By Dean Jones
Cam Newton would provide a strong mentor for Matt Corral
The Carolina Panthers bided their time and took advantage of an opportunity to move up and select Matt Corral at No. 94 overall in the 2022 NFL Draft. A decision that could see the team have a new franchise quarterback long-term providing the former Ole Miss star develops his skillset as expected or perhaps even better than anticipated.
Corral has made a tremendous early impression in interviews and was praised by head coach Matt Rhule for his efforts at rookie minicamp. This is the first building block for what could potentially be a successful future, but Sam Darnold fighting for his starting job in 2022 means there will be little help coming his way from the USC product, one suspects.
That’s where Cam Newton comes in.
The signal-caller is at a much different stage of his career. If the Panthers brought him back, this would provide Corral with an exceptional role model to learn from, smooth his transition, and see exactly what it takes to thrive at the next level.
Darnold will be worrying about himself, which he is right to do after fluffing his lines once again in 2021. If Newton returned to mentor Corral, this would be a significant support system for the player given how much the 2015 NFL MVP has accomplished throughout a glittering career to date.
Every little helps when it comes to rookies trying to carve out their own path. Corral has the tools, so some additional counsel from Newton can only help in this situation.