2022 NFL Draft rumors: Panthers have eyes for top QB

The Panthers reportedly have interest in Kenny Pickett. (Vasha Hunt-USA TODAY Sports)
The Panthers reportedly have interest in Kenny Pickett. (Vasha Hunt-USA TODAY Sports) /
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The Carolina Panthers are reportedly interested in using the No. 6 pick in the NFL Draft on a quarterback and it’s becoming clear who that might be.

The Panthers spent some draft picks acquiring Sam Darnold but he didn’t do enough in 2021 to lockdown his job for the long term.

So now Carolina appears to be in the market for a quarterback in the 2022 NFL Draft.

After the Senior Bowl, NFL evaluators think the Panthers have an idea of who they might pick with the No. 6 selection.

Panthers could target Kenny Pickett in NFL Draft

Kenny Pickett’s performance in Mobile has positioned him as a Top 10 prospect and the first quarterback to be taken off the board, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reported.

Multiple sources from within the NFC felt that Pickett was the best quarterback at the Pro Bowl. A scout from the AFC felt that Carolina would take him.

Another evaluator went more in-depth on the connection between Pickett and the Panthers.

“Their owner (David Tepper) is a huge Pitt booster,” the evaluator said. “He hasn’t invested draft capital in a quarterback yet. He has to know the Steelers like him (Tepper is a former minority investor in the Steelers). I think that’s a fit.”

Reports coming out of the Senior Bowl have been conflicting. Sources told Albert Breer of MMQB that scouts weren’t impressed with the quarterback performances with doubts that any of them are starting-level passers in the NFL.

That doesn’t quite jive with the idea that a team or teams are confident in taking Pickett in the Top 10.

Still, quarterback evaluations are fluid, and teams needing quarterbacks aren’t shy about using high picks to grab one.

The NFL Combine will present another opportunity for quarterbacks to separate themselves, especially since Matt Corral didn’t feature at the Senior Bowl.

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