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Carolina Panthers 7-Round 2022 Mock Draft: A Solution At QB

By Andrew Fischer

Jan 9, 2022; Tampa, Florida, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Sam Darnold (14) throws the ball against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the first half at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 9, 2022; Tampa, Florida, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Sam Darnold (14) throws the ball against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the first half at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /
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2022 NFL Draft, Malik Willis. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
2022 NFL Draft, Malik Willis. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports /

A Trade at the Top

Carolina almost has to make a trade to move back and acquire more picks. And they’re in luck because there are a couple teams with multiple first round picks. The quarterback class isn’t super strong either, meaning they can trade back and still have a legit shot to get the signal-caller they want. In this hypothetical trade I have Philadelphia swapping multiple mid-round picks to move up to #6. The Eagles also get a better fourth round pick in the trade. Carolina adds some much-needed draft capital without sacrificing their opportunity to select a potential franchise quarterback. Here are the trade details.

Round 1, 15th Overall: Malik Willis, QB, Liberty

The Carolina Panthers manage to trade back and still get their guy. This may not be possible if other teams trade up ahead of them, but for the purposes of this exercise, Carolina gets Malik Willis as the first quarterback off the board. They’ve already made a Super Bowl with a dual threat QB who played part of his college career at Auburn (Cam Newton), and they go back to the well here.

Malik Willis is a true dual threat quarterback. He’s very quick and athletic, and he has prodigious arm strength as well. The tools appear to be there for Willis, but he’s going to be very raw when he gets to the NFL. He’s also a tad undersized at 6’1” 215.

Scouts and media people have raved about Willis’ intangibles, about how he can win over a room. The personality of a quarterback can be just as important as the physical tools. Many NFL teams have discovered this the hard way.

Luckily for the Carolina Panthers, they’ll have Sam Darnold for at least another year as they exercised his fifth-year option.

Malik Willis probably won’t be forced to play right away, and that could be a major positive for his development. As he learns the offense and sharpens his technique, he could be ready to make an impact during the 2023 season. Unless Darnold begins next year playing extremely poorly, then in that case, all bets are off.

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