2020 NFL Draft: 6 teams that absolutely need to draft Tua Tagovailoa

The Buccaneers’ NFC South rival Carolina Panthers may also look to upgrade its quarterback position. Carolina nose-dived down the stretch after firing former head coach Ron Rivera, finishing with a dreadful 5-11 record and the No. 7 overall pick. The Panthers are in prime position to draft Tagovailoa in the top-10, but how sure are we Charlotte is the best fit for him and the team?

Carolina has yet to hire Rivera’s successor. Surely, new owner David Tepper will want to pick his guy, someone who coaches with analytics in the back of his mind. Bringing in a quarterback who has had a ton of injuries in college is a risky proposition for the former venture capitalist. There is also the notion Carolina may not be entirely done with the Cam Newton era in Charlotte.

When healthy, Newton is a top-12 franchise quarterback in football. He won NFL MVP in 2015 and led the Panthers to a 15-1 record and a Super Bowl 50 berth in that same season. Though it has mostly been downhill for Newton in the years to follow, we may see a new coaching regime get a crack at working with Newton before moving off him entirely.

If Carolina does want to start fresh with a new face of the franchise, we have to believe Tagovailoa is one of the best quarterbacks the Panthers could hope to draft. The Oregon Ducks’ Justin Herbert is healthier and might be poised to start from day one, something Tagovailoa won’t be able to do because of his health. At the very least, Carolina is in the Tagovailoa conversation.