Panthers projected QB pick on Day 2 of the 2025 NFL draft by PFF misses the mark

Pro Football Focus mock draft has Carolina selecting a quarterback in the third round of the draft.

Tim Weaver | Nov 21, 2024

WEST LAFAYETTE, INDIANA - NOVEMBER 16: Drew Allar #15 of the Penn State Nittany Lions warms up during the third quarter against the Purdue Boilermakers at Ross-Ade Stadium on November 16, 2024 in West Lafayette, Indiana. / (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)

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Carolina Panthers

At the moment the Carolina Panthers are loaded with picks for the 2024 NFL draft. General manager Dan Morgan currently has 11 selections and he's said publicly that he wants more. That's good news for a roster that has plenty of holes to fill, but it's also no guarantee that they'll make the right picks to get back on track in the NFC South.

Case in point, a new three-round mock draft for the Panthers by Pro Football Focus has them going in a head-scratching direction with one of their Day 2 picks. After mocking Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden III to Carolina in Round 1 and then Boston College edge Donovan Ezeiruaku in Round 2, PFF has the Panthers taking Penn State quarterback Drew Allar at 72 overall in the third round.

"Even if Young shows enough promise to not draft a quarterback at the top of the draft, adding a developmental prospect on Day 2 would make a lot of sense. Allar is having a career year at Penn State, earning an 87.9 PFF passing grade and with a turnover-worthy play rate of just 1.4%."

We have no objection to Burden or Ezeiruaku, who would both boost positions of need that are premium spots in the modern NFL. There's also something to be said for adding more quarterback depth behind Bryce Young. However, we're not feeling the whole developmental QB thing.

Remember, Bryce Young is still a developmental quarterback himself, and he's probably going to need at least another season or two of starts before he really begins reaching his full potential. That means there will be little to no time for Allar to grow outside of the preseason and it would likely amount to a wasted pick.

If the Panthers are going to find another backup QB behind Young this coming offseason, we'd much prefer they target someone like Justin Fields. Signing Fields would give Carolina a younger backup to replace Andy Dalton as well as a QB with far more upside - and Fields at least has enough experience at this level to feel confident about him starting a few games should Young get injured in 2025.