The Carolina Panthers were hoping that Sam Darnold would fill their quarterback void after acquiring him from the New York Jets last offseason for multiple draft picks. Unfortunately, things didn’t pan out, as Darnold struggled mightily.
He started the season strong but ended things looking like the same player the Jets moved on from. He finished the season with a completion percentage under 60 and had more interceptions than touchdowns thrown.
As a result, the Panthers are once again on the lookout for a quarterback upgrade this offseason. There aren’t many inspiring options in free agency, so the best chance for Carolina to fill the hole may be in the 2022 NFL Draft.
This year’s quarterback class isn’t considered to be very strong, as there are no sure-fire top picks in the bunch. However, there is a handful that has first-round grades, as we could see as many as five hear their name called in the first round.
It would not be a surprise if the Panthers nab one of those players. To ensure that they get their pick of the bunch, Chad Reuter of NFL.com believes the Panthers will trade up in the first round. In his most recent mock draft, Reuter believes Carolina will trade up with the Houston Texans, moving up from No. 6 to No. 3 in the draft and using that selection on Liberty quarterback Malik Willis.
Willis is arguably the most dynamic quarterback in this year’s class. He has a ton of upside as a true dual-threat with elite rushing ability and a big arm. That kind of combination is what teams will fall in love with, but he has a lot of work to do to refine his game.
It will be imperative for the Panthers, or whomever team selects him, to coach him up to help his development to reach his high ceiling. His ability to impact the game with his legs gives him a higher floor than most, but his development as a passer will truly determine how close he gets to his ceiling.
His NFL comparison was that he has the arm of Jay Cutler with the rushing ability and build of Jalen Hurts. That is quite a unique player that the Panthers could have on their hands should they make a move to select Willis.
In two years at Liberty, Willis threw for 5,107 yards, 47 touchdowns and 18 interceptions. He added 1,822 yards on the ground on 338 carries, scoring 27 more touchdowns. The entire offense would benefit from that kind of explosive performance coming from the quarterback position.
