Carolina Panthers training camp battle no. 1: Quarterback
The most important position on the field has now three legitimate competitors for the starting job.
Matt Corral is the day two rookie out of Ole Miss. He has tools that many were attracted to and had himself shooting up draft boards in the fall. An injury suffered against Baylor in the bowl game along with the performances of other QBs caused him to slip to pick 94.
The Panthers did not draft Corral just for him to never play. They have high hopes for him and have a plan. Holding him back will be his lack of NFL experience and the likelihood of a 3rd round pick starting day one.
Sam Darnold is coming into year two with the Carolina Panthers. Darnold found early season success in 2021, albeit against weaker teams, but struggled mightily the rest of the year.
He was eventually replaced and Carolina went through another Cam Newton phase. While Darnold did have a bad year and struggled, there is hope that he can improve.
With another offseason in Carolina and potentially a healthy McCaffrey (he went down after they won three in a row to start the season), Darnold could see his best season to date.
None of this matters, of course, if he does not win the starting job.
Baker Mayfield was acquired by the Panthers in a trade with the Browns. Baker is the most proven in the QB room but is coming off a tough season that forced the Browns to improve at the position.
Mayfield had a great rookie season in 2018 and seemed to be becoming the franchise QB that could save Cleveland in 2020. He won a playoff game against their hated rivals in Pittsburgh and lost a close battle against Kansas City.
Mayfield is coming off a shoulder injury that hopefully has healed up. Who exactly is the player Baker Mayfield? That is the question that he must answer and it could earn him a locked-in starting job if he is who many previously thought to be, a franchise QB.
This battle should be a great one and one of the few QB battles in the league for the 2022 season.
Personally, I see Thomas, Anderson, Foreman, and Baker all winning their respective battles in training camp. There were many battles considered in Carolina but these were the ones I settled on.
The OL and DL have their own battles and could create great competition for a team desperately in need of it. These battles will have Fantasy Football fallout so keep your eyes peeled and ears open.