Carolina Panthers select Baylor cornerback Kalon Barnes in 2022 NFL Draft

With six new additions, the Carolina Panthers concluded their 2022 NFL Draft on Saturday. The Panthers wrapped up their selections by drafting Kalon Barnes from Baylor with their seventh-round pick at No. 242 overall.

Barnes played wide receiver his first year with the Bears before switching to cornerback in his sophomore year. In three years as a defensive back for Baylor, he caught one interception each season and forced one fumble.

The Panthers selected tackle Ikem Ekwonu in the first round of the draft, picking one of the best linemen available. Quarterback Matt Corral of Ole Miss fell off draft predictions into the third round, and the Panthers selected him with the 30th pick of the round. Brandon Smith was chosen in the fourth round, while Amare Barno and Cade Mays were sixth-round picks for Carolina.

Coming into the draft, the Panthers were tied for third for the fewest picks in the league at six. Only the Dolphins and Raiders had fewer opportunities to add talent without trades. On the flip side were the Jaguars and the Chiefs with twice as many selections.

Due to prior trades, Carolina’s second-round pick and a fourth-round pick went to the New York Jets. They also gave up a third-round pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars for corner C.J. Henderson last season.

The Panthers finished the 2021 season at 5-12 at the bottom of the NFC South. It’s no secret head coach Matt Rhule is on the hot seat as he enters a critical third season. The NFL is a business that expects results quickly and a good draft could go a long way for Rhule in 2022.

Panthers needed to maximize draft picks

Key needs for the Panthers heading into the draft were quarterback, offensive line, tight end, linebacker and secondary.

This offseason, the Panthers added OG Austin Corbett, S Xavier Woods, WR Rashard Higgins, WR Brandon Zylstra, and P Johnny Hekker. The organization also held on to quarterback Sam Darnold with a $18.8 million fifth-year option. On the flip side, they lost top edge rusher Haason Reddick to free agency and veteran defensive lineman DaQuan Jones.

New offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo revealed that he believes Darnold will be the team’s starting quarterback in 2022, before backtracking a few moments later. McAdoo corrected himself stating, “that is something I shouldn’t have said” at this point in the calendar. In his first season with the Panthers, Darnold threw for 2,527 yards and nine touchdowns with 13 interceptions in 12 appearances.