With the offseason in full swing (well, at least for the Panthers and the rest of the non-playoff teams) I decided to ask the rest of the CSR staff the following question:
Who is the one draft prospect you’d like to see the Panthers draft? Round doesn’t matter, and it can be for whatever reason you want.
Below you will find their answers, as well as my thoughts. I hope this sparks discussion on draft prospects than can (and/or should) be on the Panthers’ radar in April.
DBelt, staff writer
Quarterback Trey Lance should be the target in the first round for the Panthers. While it’s clear that Teddy Bridgewater is not going to win a Super Bowl as a starter, his contract pretty much guarantees he’ll at least be on the team next season. Give Trey a year to get up to speed (a la Patrick Mahomes), then let Teddy go in 2022. Lance’s upside gives him the opportunity to be one of the best quarterbacks in franchise history. Or he could bust bigger than Jimmy Clausen. Either way, at least we’d have some hope for a while.
MickSmiley, staff writer
As a BYU alum I’ve watched left tackle Brady Christensen keep Zach Wilson clean for the last three seasons. In Christensen’s 2019 redshirt sophomore season Pro Football Focus graded him as the 12th best offensive lineman in the country. As a junior in 2020 he earned Consensus All-American honors and PFF graded him as the No. 8 player in the entire country, regardless of position. Walter Football projects him going in Rounds 3-5 where he could be a steal for the Panthers.
Brian Beversluis, social media manager
It may be a crap shoot at this point, but I’d like the Panthers to draft Zach Wilson. I think Matt Rhule showed that he can field a competitive roster, no matter the situation, but none of that matters if your quarterback can only effectively throw 15 yards down the field. Whether it’s Wilson or Justin Fields, he can afford to spend a high draft pick on a quarterback and let him learn behind Teddy Bridgewater. It’s time to build for the future. Get a guy.
Erik Sommers, lead voice/editor
Micah Parsons (ILB, Penn State): With the possibility that all three top quarterbacks might be lost to the Panthers, along with the slam dunk left tackle prospect Penei Sewell, the Panthers might want to think about drafting the absolute best linebacker in the draft to start trying to fill the shoes of Luke Kuechly. If you looked at the Panthers defense last year, middle linebacker was a constant sore spot, which is something that has never been a problem for the Panthers really in their history. Parsons has that sideline to sideline athleticism, incredible instincts, and excellent blitzing ability that would make him an impact three down middle linebacker.
Walker Clement, editor
Christian Darrisaw (OT, Virginia Tech) is projected to be drafted anywhere from the early first to middle second round. He may be the Panthers best bet if a quarterback is out of their reach. They can trade back and probably still nab him. They can grab him early if they love him. I don’t really care what their plan is so long as it involves finding somebody to anchor the offensive line opposite of a hopefully-re-signed Taylor Moton. Darrisaw can do that and he’ll make developing whatever quarterback prospect they do find that much easier.
Bradley Smith, managing editor
The Panthers need to find a quarterback in this draft, and they should take whichever one is available at No. 8 between the following three players: Zach Wilson, Justin Fields and Trey Lance. Any one of those three players will give the Panthers a potential franchise leader for the next 10-plus years, and it’s paramount that they get the quarterback of the future in this stacked draft class. They need to strike while the iron is hot and get a quarterback. Don’t wait until next year, and don’t trade down (unless all four quarterbacks are gone). To echo what Brian said: just go get your guy.
What do you think, Panthers fans? Who is your preferred target for this year’s draft? It can be any position from any school drafted in any round, but who is your one guy you hope we end up with? I look forward to reading your thoughts.