2021 NFL Mock Draft: Zach Wilson rises to Jets at No. 2 in 3-round projection

The Carolina Panthers luck out here as Justin Fields from Ohio State falls to them at No. 8. Of course, it was said during the Eagles pick at No. 6 that were he to fall that far, someone would make a move up — and one team that could potentially do that if he does slide at all is Carolina. They signed Teddy Bridgewater last season but he wasn’t able to do what the team needed in order to be competitive.

This is no knock on Bridgewater, who is one of the easiest players in the NFL to root for. He’s a likable guy who overcame a serious knee injury and became a legitimate starter again for the New Orleans Saints when Drew Brees was hurt in 2019. He played so well for them that there was talk that he could be the superior option to Brees, and it wasn’t laughable.

In Carolina, he’s in a different role where he can’t just be a game-manager since the talent around him isn’t as great as it was in New Orleans. For that reason, the Panthers will be in search of a quarterback who can be more of a playmaker, and that’s exactly what they get in Fields. The Buckeye gun-slinger developed into one of the better quarterbacks in the nation and even though he had some speed bumps in 2020, he’s still a player who could potentially become elite in the NFL.

A dual-threat, Fields can destroy a defense with his legs as easily as his arm but he’s not someone who relies solely on his athleticism to move the ball. His ability to read a defense and deliver an accurate pass is what made him one of the top prospects not only at his position, but in this class.