LAS VEGAS (WNCN) – The Carolina Panthers said waiting until the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft to pick again after picking No. 6 overall on Thursday didn’t work for them.
Carolina traded with the New England Patriots to snag the No. 94 overall pick and draft former Mississippi quarterback Matt Corral.
Watch out, Sam Darnold.
Corral joins a Panthers team who has cycled through Taylor Heinicke, Kyle Allen, Will Grier, Teddy Bridgewater, P.J. Walker and Sam Darnold all since 2018 — with again signing Newton back to the team in 2021, despite trading for Darnold last April.
Throughout the offseason, Panther head coach Matt Rhule has hinted at Carolina wanting a day-one-ready quarterback, but is Corral that guy?
With Kenny Pickett, Desmond Ritter and Malik Willis off the board, Corral was the best option. But that doesn’t answer the question.
Still, the 6-foot-2, 212-pound signal-caller will bring his hasty ball-handling, release quickness and tight spiral to Charlotte. Corral allows routes to develop, is patient without it becoming a problem for a collapsing pocket and is smart when it comes to scrambling. This will help when it comes to working with running back Christian McCaffrey.
The Panthers were slated to pick at No. 137 in round four, but the details of what they gave up to move into the third round are not yet available.
