NFL Draft 2022: Ideal top two picks for the Carolina Panthers

The Carolina Panthers are without picks in the second and third rounds of the 2022 NFL Draft. But the Panthers are still in a position to add some very impactful players in late April.

NFL Draft analyst Chad Reuter recently broke down the ideal top two picks for every team in the 2022 NFL Draft. For the Panthers, he had the team selecting a quarterback with the sixth overall pick, but then adding a solid defensive lineman with their second pick, which comes in the fourth round.

Reuter’s ideal top two picks for the Panthers in the 2022 NFL Draft

Round 1 (No. 6 overall): Pittsburgh quarterback Kenny Pickett

The Panthers are still heavily in the market for a new quarterback. Carolina brought in former Jets quarterback Sam Darnold last offseason, but he saw some serious struggles down the stretch after a promising start to the season. The Panthers later brought back Cam Newton, and PJ Walker saw some time under center as well. But as the season went on, it didn’t matter who was at quarterback for the Panthers, as they all struggled.

Pickett would be an intriguing option for the Panthers in the draft, as he’s not far from being ready to contribute in the NFL. He played five years at Pitt, finishing his collegiate career off with his strongest season yet. This past season, Pickett was a Heisman Trophy finalist after throwing for 4,319 yards, 42 touchdowns and seven interceptions, also adding five rushing touchdowns.

Round 4 (No. 137 overall): Cincinnati EDGE Myjai Sanders

Sanders might not jump out in the fourth round, but he is a good player off of the edge and could contribute right away for the Panthers. Sanders played in just four games as a freshman in 2018 at Cincinnati, but then totaled 40 tackles with 6.5 tackles for loss and four sacks as a sophomore in 2019. Then, Sanders turned into a star on the Cincinnati defensive front in 2020.

During the 2020 season, Sanders led a strong Bearcats defense, contributing 31 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, seven sacks, and five passes defended. This past season, he was a solid contributor again with 41 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, five passes defended and one fumble recovery. The Panthers need to address a number of positions in the draft, but that’s difficult without picks in the second or third round. Adding Sanders in the fourth round is definitely one of the best case scenarios for the Panthers, who could use another boost to the defensive front.