Trey Lance still the favorite to be drafted by Panthers, but experts like 2 other QBs
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If there is one thing certain about mock drafts, it’s that they are constantly changing.
This week’s mock draft roundup looks totally different than last month’s mock draft. As offseason moves continue to happen and free agency begins, these picks will continue to change. That includes who many people think the Panthers will draft.
According to NFL Mock Draft Database, which aggregates drafts from various media sites, North Dakota State quarterback Trey Lance remains the favorite to join the Panthers, being sent to Carolina in 29.3% of mock drafts. That was an increase from 25% two weeks ago.
More experts this week also like the Panthers to take Alabama’s Mac Jones.
That most draft experts predict the Panthers will select Lance makes sense. Panthers’ coach Matt Rhule said that Teddy Bridgewater needed to have a great offseason, and would not commit to naming him the starter for the 2021 season.
Bridgewater is also entering the second year of a three-year contract and doesn’t appear to be the long-term answer.
Lance is rated by most draft analysts as the fourth-best quarterback in the draft, behind Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson and Justin Fields. A few have him behind Jones. But the general consensus is that Lance is ranked higher, and he may be the best available quarterback by the time the Panthers pick at No. 8.
Here is a roundup of some national mock drafts:
CBS Sports: Ryan Wilson
▪ QB Mac Jones
Two weeks ago, Wilson had the Panthers trading up to the No. 4 spot to get Fields. However, he saw it differently this week, with the Panthers taking Jones. He had all five of the top quarterbacks being taken with the first eight picks.
ESPN: Mel Kiper
▪ QB Mac Jones
Kiper said he sees the Panthers drafting a quarterback as long as they don’t get Deshaun Watson. He has the Panthers drafting Jones with the eighth pick ahead of Trey Lance, who he projects will be drafted ninth overall.
ESPN: Todd McShay
▪ QB Justin Fields (via trade with Miami Dolphins)
“Fields can make off-schedule throws or tuck it and run, but he has shown poise when he hangs in the pocket, too. Accuracy pops on his deep balls,” McShay wrote.
The Draft Network: Jordan Reid
▪ QB Justin Fields (via trade with Miami Dolphins)
Reid has the Panthers trading away their 2021 first-round pick (No. 8), 2021 second-round pick (No. 39), 2021 fifth-round pick (No. 155) and 2022 first-round pick in exchange for the Dolphins’ No. 3 pick.
Pro Football Focus: Seth Galina
▪ QB Zach Wilson
“Both Carolina and Denver will be unhappy with their quarterback situation, and there’s no reason for them not to roll the dice on that position,” Galina writes. “The Panthers could go with any of the top quarterbacks on the board here, but they go with Wilson because of the playmaking ability.”
Walterfootball.com
“Trey Lance has some nice physical tools, and he’s coming off a huge year in 2019.”
NFL Network: Daniel Jeremiah
▪ QB Trey Lance
“Sitting behind Teddy Bridgewater for a season before taking over as QB1 in Year 2 could be the perfect situation for Lance,” Jeremiah writes.
Charlotte Observer: Jonathan M. Alexander
▪ QB Justin Fields (via trade with Miami Dolphins or New York Jets)
It’s obvious based on Matt Rhule and David Tepper’s comments earlier this offseason that Teddy Bridgewater is not the long-term answer at quarterback.
Assuming the Panthers can’t pull off a trade with the Houston Texans for Deshaun Watson, I think the Panthers will draft a quarterback. At No. 8, there’s no guarantee they’ll get the quarterback they want. Lance and/or Jones can be there, but they are not the best available. Fields seems like the logical answer here — a quarterback who can run and pass, and plays well in big games.
