Amongst its impressive 2022 NFL draft class, the Carolina Panthers got as much as they could at two key positions right off the top of their card. Those investments—hopefully both long-term ones for the middling franchise—could finally solidify the left tackle spot and the all-important quarterback position moving forward.
But how forward?
Here is our post-draft projection for the Panthers’ offensive depth chart:
Position
Starter
Depth
QB
Sam Darnold
Matt Corral
P.J. Walker
RB
Christian McCaffrey
Chuba Hubbard
D’Onta Foreman
Spencer Brown
Darius Bradwell
FB
Giovanni Ricci
WR
DJ Moore
Terrace Marshall Jr.
Brandon Zylstra
C.J. Saunders
WR
Robby Anderson
Rashard Higgins
Shi Smith
Aaron Parker
TE
Ian Thomas
Colin Thompson
TE
Tommy Tremble
Stephen Sullivan
LT
Ikem Ekwonu
Cameron Erving
Aaron Monteiro
LG
Brady Christensen
Michael Jordan
Dennis Daley
C
Bradley Bozeman
Pat Elflein
Sam Tecklenburg
RG
Austin Corbett
Deonte Brown
Cade Mays
Mike Horton
RT
Taylor Moton
Austen Pleasants
Matt Corral wasn’t the first player Carolina took, but his place on this chart is a tad more intriguing than Ikem Ekwonu’s. So we’ll start there.
The kicker in all of this is Sam Darnold—who may not even be on the roster come September. Look for the Panthers to still swing some sort of deal for a veteran quarterback—likely Jimmy Garoppolo or Baker Mayfield—to guide the way early on ahead of the third-rounder.
But if we’re forecasting the unit based off what’s there now, Darnold gets the first crack and a short leash. Corral goes over P.J. Walker simply because the franchise, with a juicy 2023 quarterback class ahead, will need to see if he’s worth hitching their wagon to beyond 2022.
Now, we head to Ekwonu—the first offensive player taken in the entire class. While there are some improvements for him to make as a pass protector, the 6-foot-4, 310-pounder didn’t have the sixth overall pick used on him for…
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