Carolina Panthers general manager Scott Fitterer is as transparent and thorough as they come in the NFL. But could he be engaging in a bit of shifty gamesmanship at the moment?
If he is, you can’t blame him. His team is currently in possession of the 2022 draft’s sixth overall pick—a potential turning point for both the franchise and the rest of the board.
And that pick, as soon as the offseason began, has always been projected as either a quarterback or an offensive lineman—two particular holes Fitterer is obviously quite aware of. The choice, though, isn’t all that obvious.
“This will be interesting because the tackles will be the best players on the board,” he said in an interview with Darin Gantt of Panthers.com published on Wednesday. “But we do need a quarterback, and at some point you have to take a shot, especially in the top 10. You hate to force it, because when you force it, you could make a mistake.”
So, will they risk it for the biscuit and take a chance on Malik Willis, Kenny Pickett or Matt Corral? Or will they cross their fingers and hope a top tackle—Evan Neal, Ikem Ewonku or Charles Cross—falls through the cracks?
Or—in a fresh look of sorts—will there be a pass rusher at No. 6 that’s too good to . . . pass up?
“It’s a unique quarterback class, because there’s not a clear number one, number two, number three,” he added. “Like, who’s the proven starter who can come in and play for you? That’ll be the conversation we have for the next month — quarterback or left tackle. And we could always go pass-rusher because Brian Burns is coming up (they’re picking up his option to extend his rookie deal until 2023). I mean, we’ll do the option, but if that money gets out of hand, it’s better to have somebody ready to go in the hopper.”
As stated by Fitterer last Friday, the organization will pick up Burns’ fifth-year option before the May 2 deadline. The soon-to-be fourth-year defensive end, on top of being selected to his first Pro Bowl in 2021, is one of the most valuable players on the roster.
Could that roster, however, welcome another premier talent off the edge? Perhaps a Kayvon Thibodeaux or a Travon Walker?
Well, of course. Both prospects would be more than worth that pick, regardless of need. Plus, as Fitterer alluded to, it’s never bad to have somebody “in the hopper.”
We’ll have to wait until April 28, however, to see if Fitterer is for real or just bluffing.
