Panthers will pick 6th in the NFL draft. Here are the best players to fit their needs
The Panthers’ draft order is set for 2022.
Carolina will pick sixth in April’s NFL draft after finishing 5-12 this season. The Panthers have finished with a losing record in four consecutive seasons, and will pick in the top 10 for the third consecutive year.
The Panthers entered Sunday’s game at Tampa Bay with a small chance to pick fifth but they needed the Jets to beat the Bills.
After focusing heavily on the defense the past two years, the Panthers will make offense a priority in the 2022 draft. Their two biggest position needs include offensive line and quarterback.
Quarterback Sam Darnold, who is guaranteed $18.9 million next season, has shown he isn’t the long-term answer for the franchise. And the offensive line allowed 50 sacks through the first 16 games this season, fourth-worst in the NFL.
If the Panthers choose to pick an offensive lineman, Mississippi State offensive tackle Charles Cross may be available. ESPN’s Todd McShay had the Panthers taking him with the sixth overall pick in his December mock draft.
They could also look at N.C. State’s Ikem Ekwonu, who is projected as both an offensive tackle and a guard. Ekwonu played solely at left tackle during his junior season in Raleigh. He played both guard and tackle as a sophomore.
While McShay had Ekwonu going 21st overall in his mock draft, other draft experts have him going higher. Chris Trapasso of CBS has him going eighth overall in his January mock draft. Alabama’s Evan Neal would be an outside shot of falling to sixth. Most draft experts have him as the top-rated offensive lineman in this class, and he’s projected to go in the top five.
This draft is offensive line-heavy, so the Panthers also have the option to trade back.
If the Panthers choose to draft with a quarterback, the first one likely to come off the board is Pitt’s Kenny Pickett. Pickett had a breakout year in 2021. He led Pitt to an ACC championship while passing for 4,319 yards, 42 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also ran for five touchdowns.
Liberty’s Malik Willis, a dual-threat quarterback, is also a realistic option. Trapasso has the Panthers choosing Willis sixth overall. Willis, who is 6-foot-1, 215 pounds, passed for 2,857 yards, 27 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He also ran for 878 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Other options like Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corrall or Cinncinati’s Desmond Ridder could emerge. Both quarterbacks are projected by most draft experts to be mid-to-late-first-round draft picks.
But from the Senior Bowl to the combine to pro days, a lot can change between January and April.
The NFL draft begins on April 28.
The Panthers own a first-, fourth-, two fifth-round picks, a sixth and a seventh-rounder.
2022 NFL draft order
1. Jaguars
2. Lions
3. Texans
4. Jets
5. Giants
6. Panthers
7. Giants (via Bears)
8. Falcons
9. Broncos
10. Jets (via Seahawks)
11. Washington
12. Vikings
13. Browns
14. Ravens
15. Eagles (via Dolphins)
16. Eagles (via Colts)
17. Chargers
18. Saints
19. Eagles
20. Steelers
