The Carolina Panthers are one of the teams that are still in the market for a quarterback this offseason. They have been connected to a few veterans, such as Baker Mayfield of the Cleveland Browns and Jimmy Garoppolo of the San Francisco 49ers.

Given the seemingly hot seat that head coach Matt Rhule is on, landing a veteran would seem to be the likeliest route the team takes at the position. They had hoped Sam Darnold would fill that void, but he performed so poorly last season that another change is needed.

It would be shocking if the Panthers went into the season with Darnold as their starter no matter what people in the organization have said this offseason. They need a change and Rhule’s job could depend on it.

We will find out what direction the team is heading when the 2022 NFL Draft rolls around on Thursday. The Panthers have the No. 6 overall pick in the draft and a lot of people believe that is truly where things will get going.

There is a rough idea of how the first five picks may shake out. EDGE defenders and offensive tackles will likely be all the rage. A cornerback or wide receiver could sneak in there as well, but Carolina looks like the first spot that a quarterback could come off the board unless a trade-up develops.

Based on what Scott Fitterer recently said, it certainly sounds like the Panthers are leaving their options open when it comes to taking a quarterback with their first-round pick. Fitterer said there are a couple of quarterbacks they are comfortable picking in that spot.

At this point in the process, there is always some posturing done as teams angle for players they want. But, it would seem that the Panthers are seriously pulling the trigger on a new signal-caller at No. 6.

It could very well come down to Liberty’s Malik Willis and Pittsburgh’s Kenny Pickett. They seem to have pulled away from their peers in the rankings and one of them will be the first quarterback off the board.

Without a second or third-round pick, the Panthers very well could pull the trigger on a quarterback here. They desperately need a face of the franchise under center and both Willis and Pickett have a lot to offer the franchise which is set up relatively well for a young quarterback to start games.