2025 NFL draft: Panthers to meet with athletic dual-threat QB prospect

The Carolina Panthers appear to be set at quarterback for next season with Bryce Young slated to start and Andy Dalton returning to back him up. However, there may be room for a third quarterback on the roster this year - and if there is the best place to find one will be in the 2025 NFL draft that begins in just 12 days.

On that subject there is news to report. According to Aaron Wilson, former Texas Tech and Houston Cougars quarterback prospect Donovan Smith will be meeting with the Panthers over Zoom at some point next week.

This may be the first time you're hearing his name in this draft cycle, and for good reason. The 2025 QB crop is supposed to be relatively weak and Smith is ranked just 20th among them, according to the consensus big board.

Carolina's interest in Smith is a classic example of valuing traits over college production. Smith has some great measurables, coming in at 6-foot-6, 238 pounds and having run a 4.63 forty and posting a 37" vertical and a 122" broad jump at his pro day.

Nov 23, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Cougars quarterback Donovan Smith (1) and running back Re'Shaun Sanford II (26) warm up before the game against the Baylor Bears at TDECU Stadium. | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Smith will need those pysical attributes to overlook an unimpressive bunch of numbers in college, including a brutal 2024 season where he threw twice as many interceptions (eight) as touchdowns (four) while dealing with a shoulder injury.

Smith did have a much more impressive 2023 campaign, totaling 22 touchdowns, 13 interceptions and a 135.5 quarterback rating. While he's not Cam Newton Smith does have rushing ability, racking up 845 yards and 19 touchdowns all together between two years at Texas Tech and two years at Houston.

Smith might get picked on Day 3 but for now he is projected to go undrafted. If the Panthers do pick him up he would project as a distant third on the depth chart behind Young and Dalton.

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