Panthers’ Surprise: Panthers Seek Difference-Maker, Elite-Playmaker in Sight
The Carolina Panthers look set to go back to the drawing board at the quarterback position in 2025 after yet another disappointing season from 2023 No. 1 overall pick, Bryce Young, who was benched in favor of Andy Dalton earlier this year.
Young got another opportunity last week with Dalton injured, and he’s going to get yet another start in Week 9. But, barring a major turnaround from what we’ve seen over his first year-plus in the NFL, chances are he won’t be able to do enough to cement himself as the team’s long-term answer.
But Daft on Draft’s Cory Kinnan has other ideas. In his most recent mock draft, he has Carolina taking the uber-talented cornerback/wide receiver out of Colorado, Travis Hunter, instead.
“Could the Carolina Panthers already go after another quarterback? They could,” Kinnan wrote. “They invested a ton of money in the offensive line around the quarterback. However, they are lacking offensive playmakers. This is still not a great situation to bring a rookie quarterback into.”
As much as we think Hunter is the most talented player in next year’s draft, Carolina cannot pass up on a quarterback in this spot, barring Young lighting the world on fire over the next nine games. Also bear in mind, the current Panthers regime is not married to Young, who wasn’t its draft pick.
The Panthers can find a talented cornerback or wide receiver or whatever Hunter is going to be at the next level far easier than they can find a franchise quarterback. If the team believes any of the signal-callers are worthy of the No. 1 overall pick in 2025, Carolina must pounce.
Ideally, the Panthers can sell the No. 1 pick to a team a spot or two behind them that is interested in Hunter and can pick up extra draft capital and it’s franchise quarterback.
