4 teams that could foil Pittsburgh Steelers NFL Draft plans in 2022
Carolina Panthers: 6th overall pick
Pay close attention to the Panthers’ selection. In 2021 the Panthers traded for Sam Darnold as the Jets drafted Zach Wilson. That move did not pan out so well for Carolina, as Darnold continued to struggle. Some fans may want Carolina to move on; however, it seems Carolina may still have faith in Darnold.
For now, the top three selections, in no particular order, could very well be Kayvon Thibodeaux, Evan Neal, Adrian Hutchinson. The Jets are at number four and have Zach Wilson. The Giants at number five have Daniel Jones, and it seems highly unlikely they would attempt to replace Jones as they have many more prominent issues. Thus if a quarterback goes, it could very well be with Carolina’s selection.
Kenny Pickett has about a 32% shot of being taken by the Panthers, Matt Corral at 10%, and Malik Willis has a 7% chance. However, suppose they do not take a quarterback, then Charles Cross could be their selection right now; he has potentially a 21% chance of the Panthers taking him.
Considering Carolina may stay with Darnold, as they are still on the hook for several million dollars in guaranteed money, the logic would be to add an offensive lineman instead. Thus it is no slam dunk, Carolina drafts a quarterback. More than likely, they poach Charles Cross.
How this affects the Steelers:
If the Steelers opt for a quarterback, they would love Pickett. They might settle for Corral if he’s on the board, which is unlikely. However, if Pickett is not available, then it could be Carson Strong or Sam Howell. That said, Strong could still be available for the Steelers to take with their number two selection, which opens the door for the Charles Cross to fall to the 20th selection.
If the Panthers take Cross, though, the quarterback situation could get a bit more peculiar if Denver or Washington opt for Corral, Willis, or perhaps Desmond Ridder. However, the Panthers still have a 32% chance of taking a player outside of a quarterback or Cross, which makes things more interesting at the 9th pick.