Carolina has moved up for a quarterback!
The Panthers have traded pick No. 137 in the 2022 NFL Draft to the New England Patriots for pick No. 94.
With the No. 94 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Carolina Panthers have selected quarterback Matt Corral. Corral (6’01, 205) played college football at Ole Miss, where he won the 2021 C Spire Conerly Award. That trophy is given to the best college football player in the state of Mississippi. He threw for 8,287 yards, 57 touchdowns and 23 interceptions while completing 67.3 percent of his passes in 37 games throughout his college career. Corral was also named MVP of the 2021 Outback Bowl. He was unable to finish the 2022 Sugar Bowl after sustaining a high ankle sprain on his right ankle. That same sprain kept him from throwing at the NFL Combine this year but is not expected to affect his participation in any of the Panthers offseason programs.
The Panthers are taking a shot with a new quarterback in 2022 after less than ideal results in 2021 after trading multiple draft picks to the Jets for Sam Darnold and then bringing former franchise quarterback Cam Newton back into the fold mid-season when Darnold went down with a shoulder injury. Rumors and speculation have surrounded the Panthers all offseason in regards to their plans at quarterback, and this selection signals their intent to build through the draft rather than engage in trade talks for Baker Mayfield and/or Jimmy Garoppolo. The selection of Corral may work out, or it could end up being a complete disaster, but one thing we have to give the Panthers credit for is betting on potential at a time where they could have played it safe and traded for a known quantity.
Leave a Reply