Carolina Panthers: Final 2022 NFL Draft grade is in
The Carolina Panthers received an overall grade of ‘A’ by NFL Draft analyst Chad Reuter for their six-player draft class. With only one selections in each of the first two days of the 2022 NFL Draft, the Panthers also put together a strong final day to work on holes in their defense.
Brandon Smith (LB), Amare Barno (EDGE) and Kalon Barnes (CB) rounded the draft class on the defensive side for Carolina on Saturday. Former Tennessee Volunteers guard Cade Mays was the lone offense player the Panthers pursued after using their first two days drafting offensive weapons.
“Carolina played the quarterback market well, landing the talented [Matt] Corral in the third round (paying the reasonable price of a 2023 third-round pick to move up for him) while greatly improving the offensive line with [Ickey] Ekwonu,” Reuter wrote. “They had previously traded second- and fourth-round picks in the deal for Sam Darnold, though. That investment has yet to pay off.
Carolina made a slight move up the board to select Smith, which is fair considering his athleticism. Barno was a quality pick in the sixth round, as was the strong and experienced Mays. Barnes is a speed demon.”
Ekwonu was a bit of a surprise selection, as many draft boards had Carolina selecting a quarterback with the No. 6 overall selection Thursday night, but is a great selection given who fell to them in day two.
Corral, the Panthers’ lone day two selection, fell from a potential first round draft choice to a late third round selection in the 2022 NFL Draft, but the Carolina Panthers drafted the former Ole Miss star in the hopes that they’ve found their quarterback of the future. But where does Corral’s future stand with fellow quarterback Sam Darnold on the roster?
“I’m excited to get back to Carolina and start to work,” Corral said after being drafted Friday night. “Really, because I was nervous at first, and he noticed that, and called me out on it. Then there was a comfort there. Him understanding I was already nervous and calling me out on it was kind of comforting. He knew it … I felt like it was a place I’d end up for sure.”
The Panthers, who many believed would take a quarterback in the first round, traded up to select Corral late in the third round, falling likely due to concerns regarding his physical attributes seeming to lower his draft stock. Despite these concerns, analysts are all agreed on the type of leadership Corral brings to the field and the competitor that he is.