Like a lot of teams, the Carolina Panthers would ideally like to find their franchise QB of the future in the 2021 NFL Draft. While that isn’t easy even if you have the 1st overall pick, with the 8th pick the Panthers were always going to have to either trade up or get lucky in how the picks fell to get a shot at one of the top four quarterbacks in the class. With the 49ers trading into the third pick, however, things have only got harder.
This move impacts the Panthers in two ways. Firstly, it puts another QB-needy team in front of them, meaning that there is now a high likelihood that a quarterback is taken with each of the first three picks. Secondly, it removes one of the few realistic spots the Panthers could trade into should they look to go after a quarterback. While a lot can happen between now and the end of April, it now seems more likely than not that the Panthers will miss-out on all of the top QB prospects this year.
Photo Credit: David Foster/Charlotte Observer
What this means in the short term is that options such as offensive line, cornerback and trading down increase in probability, with the Panthers looking to add talent around Teddy Bridgewater in the short term with a view to selecting their QB of the future in 2022.
If they do take this approach then, who are some of the names that the Panthers could be targeting a year from now?
Spencer Rattler, Oklahoma (6’1 205lbs)
Photo Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
Rattler is the latest prospect to come out of the QB factory that the Oklahoma football program has become, and as the current favorite for the 2021 Heisman he will likely be very much in the mix for the 1st overall pick in 2022. While he might not have the prototypical size of a Trey Lance or a Trevor Lawrence, he has easy arm strength with the ability to push the ball deep and the velocity to fire it into tight windows underneath.
He shows a good combination of accuracy and touch allowing him to be an effective passer at all levels of the field and shows the ability to be highly accurate even when working off-balance. While he shouldn’t be a primary ball-carrying option for an NFL offense, he is hyper-mobile with the ability to escape pressure and force defenses to be disciplined in their rush in order to prevent him from being able to scramble for easy yards.
On the downside, like all the quarterbacks coming out of Oklahoma he will need to show that he can make good, fast decisions without the protection of an offensive line that can keep him clean for four or five seconds on a regular basis and an offensive coordinator who is able to scheme players open on a regular basis.
As a pure thrower and athlete, Rattler is right up there with the very best, and if he can continue to improve in the mental aspects of the game then he could well be the first quarterback off the board in 2022.
Dorian Thompson-Robinson, UCLA (6’1 200lbs)
Photo Credit: Amy Dixon/Daily Bruin
With some uncertainty around Joe Brady’s long-term future with the team it is hard to know what the Panthers’ offense will look like in a few years from now, but assuming Matt Rhule’s preference for a quick-passing attack continues then having a quarterback who is able to manage the offense is going to be a priority. While the term ‘game manager’ is often seen as a criticism, quarterbacks who are able to maximize the talent around them are always going to be valuable.
Dorian Thompson-Robinson doesn’t have the cannon for an arm that some of the other top quarterbacks possess, but he has the arm strength to work all levels of the field and shows good velocity and touch to either fire it into tight windows underneath or drop it over the top of defenders down the field. He probably won’t be asked to run the ball quite as much in the NFL as he did in college, but he is a really elusive athlete in the open field who breaks more tackles than his size would suggest.
For Thompson-Robinson, the key will be continued progression, as his completion percentage, yards per attempt and touchdown-to-interception ratio have all improve year-on-year during his time at UCLA to the point of completing over 65% of his passes at over 8 yards per attempt for 12 TDs and four INTs in UCLA’s five games in 2020.
If he is able to improve yet again and put up those numbers over a full season then he could very well play himself into contention for a top 10 pick.
Desmond Ridder, Cincinnati (6’4 215lbs)
Photo Credit: Nick Brown/Rooted Media
Desmond Ridder chose not to declare for the 2021 NFL Draft likely in part in order to give himself the best chance of being a top 10 pick. While Cincinnati experienced something of a surge in exposure in 2020 before ultimately losing to Georgia in their bowl game, Ridder has been putting up top-tier quarterback numbers even since his Freshman season, throwing for nearly 7,000 yards in his three seasons to go along with 57 passing touchdowns, 22 rushing touchdowns and just 20 interceptions.
On tape, Ridder has a big arm that allows him to be an effective passer to all levels of the field with a sharp release and good velocity to fire the ball into tight windows at short and intermediate levels. He shows really good accuracy, not just hitting receivers but putting it where only his players can make a play on the ball, while offering enough as his feet to be a legitimate rushing threat as part of an option offense.
In terms of questions about his game, the biggest one is going to be about projecting how he is able to translate his game to more of an NFL-style scheme and could well be somebody who would benefit from not being thrown in as a starter right away, but he should be in the conversation to be the QB1 in the 2022 draft.
Bailey Zappe, Western Kentucky (6’2 215lbs)
Photo Credit: Juan DeLeon/Juan DeLeon Studio
Most years, there is a small-school quarterback who finds themselves in the conversation to be a high draft pick, and while Bailey Zappe has transferred to Western Kentucky for his final season of college football, the former Houston Baptist quarterback has certainly impressed at the FCS level. In HBU’s four games during the 2020 season, Zappe threw 15 TDs to just 1 INT while completing over 65% of his passes.
He shows the ability to both push the ball down the field and fit the ball into tight windows over the middle of the field and does a really good job of working to find open receivers even against tight coverage. He isn’t the most mobile of quarterbacks, but he isn’t a statue either and is able to move around the pocket to escape pressure.
For Zappe, the question is really pretty obvious, can he step up his game with better surrounding talent? While Western Kentucky aren’t exactly a college powerhouse, Zappe should get a chance to show that he can play with the big boys in 2021 and could certainly play himself into a day 2 pick in the process.
Sam Howell, North Carolina (6’1 225lbs)
ANNAPOLIS, MD – DECEMBER 27: Quarterback Sam Howell #7 of the North Carolina Tar Heels drops back to throw a pass in the first half against the Temple Owls in the Military Bowl Presented by Northrop Grumman at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium on December 27, 2019 in Annapolis, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
Sam Howell certainly doesn’t lack talent, and having thrown for over 7,200 yards, 68 TDs and just 14 INTs over the past two seasons he has the numbers to make himself a legitimate part of the #1 overall pick conversation for 2022. Add to that the obvious North Carolina connections and if the Panthers do pass on a quarterback in the first round this year then the anticipation for Howell will be understandable.
On tape. Howell doesn’t always throw with amazing velocity, but he has the arm to push the ball deep with ease and shows really good touch to consistently drop the ball into gaps in coverage down the field. While he isn’t going to be confused for a dual-threat quarterback at the NFL level, he is mobile enough to extend plays and can scramble for a few yards if defenses give him the chance.
Where he needs to improve is in the speed of his decision making, as he can often hold the ball quite long looking for the deep ball to come open rather than working underneath routes. While he is going to be limited in how much he can show teams he is ready for the NFL game playing in North Carolina’s offense, if he can improve the consistency of his performances, especially against the better college defenses he’ll face, then he will make himself very hard for teams to pass on.
Photo Credit: University of Cincinnati Athletics
The Panthers shouldn’t be counted-out of the race to draft a top quarterback in 2021, as there is still a chance that the board falls a strange way or that the Panthers get aggressive in moving up, but if not, then there will be options in the 2022 draft, not to mention to possibility of trades or free agent acquisitions.
This might not be how Panthers’ fans would have wanted things to play out thus far, but all hope isn’t lost.
(Top photo via Getty Images)
