The middling Carolina Panthers declined to address their need at quarterback during the first round of this year's NFL Draft, as they chose top-tier offensive tackle Ikem Ekwonu with the No. 6 pick. But once the third round arrived, the team elected to move up in the order via trade with the New England Patriots, and took Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral at No. 94.
Carolina remains in a precarious spot, as they're lacking a bona fide franchise quarterback. Although they selected Corral -- who was a top-five prospect at the position -- Sam Darnold has an early lead on the starting job, heading into the 2022 season. Of course, the Panthers will likely give Corral the chance to compete for the role in training camp. But the draft strategy reaffirmed owner David Tepper's confidence in Darnold, and patience with coach Matt Rhule.
"Other people liked the Carolina Panthers' draft, I think it was confusing. I was down on Matt Corral, so, no thank you," NFL Network analytics expert Cynthia Frelund explained to After Hours with Amy Lawrence on Monday. "I did like the tackle they got in the first round, Ekwonu from N.C. State. A really, really good versatile tackle, and they need that. But, I think they needed to solve their QB problem, I don't know if Corral does it. So, thought that was a little confusing."
Corral -- listed at 6-foot-2 and 212 pounds -- was the fifth-ranked quarterback and 53rd overall prospect on Pro Football Focus' big board. He's coming off a laudable campaign with Ole Miss, as he amassed a career-high 3,349 passing yards with 20 touchdowns and just five interceptions over 13 games. The 23-year-old also displayed his dual-threat abilities, rushing for 614 total yards on 152 attempts with 11 scores on the ground.
With stellar contributions from Corral, Ole Miss (10-3) finished second in the SEC West, ranked as high as No. 8 in the AP poll, and received a Sugar Bowl matchup against Baylor. Unfortunately for Corral, he only played one quarter, as he suffered a high ankle sprain and was carted off the field. Corral's x-rays came back negative, and although he didn't participate in NFL Combine drills in early March, he threw for teams at Ole Miss' pro day a few weeks later.
The entire 2022 NFL Draft conversation between Frelund and Lawrence can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow After Hours With Amy Lawrence on Twitter @ALawRadio and @AfterHoursCBS, and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.