5 biggest Carolina Panthers needs at the 2022 midseason point

Carolina Panthers must secure a franchise QB

This is the most important thing above all else.

The Carolina Panthers must find a franchise-caliber quarterback in 2023.

No longer can the Panthers gamble on veterans down on their luck. Teddy Bridgewater, Sam Darnold, and Baker Mayfield all failed to make the No. 1 spot theirs, so addressing this need through the draft is a gift Carolina cannot afford to turn down.

Unless something drastic occurs over the second half of 2022, the Panthers will have a top-five pick next spring. This should put them in strong contention to draft someone like Bryce Young or C.J. Stroud – the consensus top-two prospects at the position emanating from the college ranks.

If that doesn’t work out, then players like Will Levis, Hendon Hooker, and Anthony Richardson will enter the equation. There is a lot of analyzing to come for general manager Scott Fitterer and his staff, with this decision set to make or break the Panthers’ long-term future.

Matt Rhule had the final say on personnel decisions. But now he’s no longer around, the onus is on Fitterer to mold this team into one that can legitimately enter contention sooner rather than later.

Let’s face it, Cam Newton isn’t coming back. What’s vital for the Panthers is finding someone that can inspire the fanbase and provide real hope for the future after so much misery under Rhule’s leadership.