5 Panthers players to watch closely at mandatory minicamp in 2022

Matt Corral – Carolina Panthers QB

All the hype surrounding Matt Corral seems to have died down since the Carolina Panthers drafted him No. 94 overall. This is thanks in no small part to the ongoing speculation linking the franchise with another bold veteran trade such as Baker Mayfield and Jimmy Garoppolo.

That is something Corral shouldn’t concern himself with. The Panthers clearly saw a lot in the Ole Miss product to suggest a starting gig could be in his long-term future, but adjusting quickly is of paramount importance ahead of what could be a true quarterback battle between the third-round pick and Sam Darnold in training camp.

Ben McAdoo’s influence brought Corral to the team. The new offensive coordinator has given the signal-caller all he can handle during the preparation period so far and even though he was excused from some OTAs due to a family tragedy, the player was back in the building last week.

Corral has a lot of likable traits and played at a high level throughout his time in the SEC. Throwing him in at the deep end and expecting him to become an elite presence is too much, but if the coaching staff feels like he is ready, it cannot be ruled out entirely.

The pressure is all on Darnold. But keeping an eye on how Corral is developing and especially when he gets first-team reps will also tell us a lot ahead of training camp.