Counterpoint: The Panthers drafting a quarterback is short-sighted. They need protection
It quickly became apparent Sunday that the Carolina Panthers had no chance of defeating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It didn’t matter who coach Matt Rhule deployed at quarterback. Whether Cam Newton rushed downhill or Sam Darnold ad-libbed for extra precious seconds, the Panthers could not block the Bucs.
“At the end of the day, we gave up seven sacks and were at times overwhelmed by both their pressure package and their four-man rush,” Rhule said. “I will have to go back and watch the tape before I can comment too much, but their pass rush certainly was a major factor in the game.”
Think about what Rhule said there. Admitting your team cannot block an opposing pass rush, whether they blitz or rush four, signals impending doom regardless of the situation or play call. Talented skill players cannot influence a game without concepts developing downfield.
Receivers Robby Anderson and D.J. Moore have been rendered useless. How would Christian McCaffrey produce behind an offensive line that produced nine yards on six carries for rookie Chuba Hubbard? Elite rushing talent alone wouldn’t flip a 1.5 yard-per-carry average around.
Take Tampa Bay for example. The NFC South champions played without starters Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Leonard Fournette yet still effectively moved the ball by keeping quarterback Tom Brady protected behind one of the best offensive lines in football.
I understand why my colleague Jonathan M. Alexander argues that the Panthers should draft a quarterback in the first round. With two weeks remaining in the season, the Panthers hold the No. 7 pick and should have several promising quarterbacks or offensive line options available.
Pro Football Focus projects three offensive linemen and two quarterbacks drafted inside the top 10 of their latest mock draft. Tackles Evan Neal (Alabama) and Charles Cross (Mississippi State) are the top blindside protectors in the 2022 class while Iowa’s Tyler Linderbaum is considered one of the best center prospects of all time.
Experts project a much weaker quarterback class than a year ago. Kenny Pickett (Pittsburgh) and Matt Corral (Ole Miss) are the first two signal-callers off PFF’s board. But without first solidifying the offensive line with sound investments, Carolina risks ruining Pickett or Corral behind inadequate protection.
Too often rookie quarterbacks develop bad habits while compensating for poor offensive line play. Darnold’s three years with the Jets are an example of that. He joined the Panthers with promises of better protection. Thus far, Rhule and general manager Scott Fitterer haven’t delivered. Darnold suffers from the issues that damaged him in New York.
The Panthers’ offensive line ranks 25th in adjusted sack rate according to Football Outsiders. ESPN’s pass-block win rate measures how long linemen can sustain their blocks for 2.5 seconds or longer. Carolina is the fourth-worst pass-blocking team, winning only 50 percent of the time.
Other than right tackle Taylor Moton, the Panthers need a complete offensive line rebuild. With only one pick in the top 100, it’s vital Rhule and Fitterer allocate resources toward accurately identifying the best offensive linemen and choosing him in the first round.
Two years ago, Tampa Bay ensured Brady added protection by selecting tackle Tristan Wriffs No. 13 overall. Three picks prior, Cleveland added tackle Jedrick Wills and paired him with free agent right tackle Jack Conklin, fixing their offensive line issues in one quick offseason.
Last year, the Chiefs completely remade their offensive line by trading for left tackle Orlando Brown, signing left guard Joe Thuney, and drafting center Creed Humphrey, right guard Trey Smith and right tackle Lucas Niang. The investment is paying off as Kansas City ranks third in pass-block win rate through 16 games.
The blueprint to successfully (and quickly) rebuild an offensive line exists. The Chiefs, Browns and Bucs all did so to varying degrees over the past two seasons. The Panthers should and will aggressively pursue a quarterback upgrade this offseason, too. But until Rhule delivers quality protection and a supportive run game, it won’t make a difference who takes snaps.
This story was originally published December 28, 2021 at 10:11 AM with the headline "Counterpoint: The Panthers drafting a quarterback is short-sighted. They need protection."
