The Carolina Panthers selected who they hope will be their quarterback of the future in Ole Miss signal-caller Matt Corral during the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft on Friday.
Carolina jumped into the third round by trading the New England Patriots for No. 94 overall and grabbed the fourth quarterback off the board. Kenny Pickett (Steelers), Desmond Ridder (Falcons) and Malik Willis (Titans) all were drafted before Corral, a development NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported was due to some on-field issues.
And while it’s a selection that will impact the future of the Panthers, it also will impact the Cleveland Browns, and specifically quarterback Baker Mayfield.
Panthers general manager Scott Fitterer told reporters Friday night that Carolina selecting Corral takes the organization out of the market for a veteran QB, as shared by ESPN’s David Newton. Fitterer added that he is comfortable with Carolina’s group of quarterbacks, which includes Sam Darnold.
The Panthers and Browns reportedly were in talks for Mayfield on Friday night with ESPN’s Kimberly Martin even indicating talks heated up and there was a chance Mayfield could land with Carolina by the end of the weekend. Yahoo Sports’ Charles Robinson later reported the two organizations couldn’t agree on how to divide Mayfield’s $18.8 million in guaranteed money for the 2022 season, the final in his rookie contract. It ultimately caused talks to stall, and now, likely end.
It’s also almost certainly caused the Browns to lose another suitor for Mayfield with the quarterback hanging in the balance after Cleveland traded for Deshaun Watson.
