What Should the Panthers Do at No. 9 if They Sign Derek Carr?

A few suggestions for what Carolina should do with their first-round pick.

Signing veteran free agent quarterback Derek Carr appears to be a legitimate option for the Carolina Panthers as the two met in Indianapolis earlier this week. According to GM Scott Fitterer, it was more of a "feeling out process" but with free agency quickly approaching, a decision on Carr will need to be made sooner than later.

With this week being the NFL Combine, there's been a lot of talk about which quarterback the Panthers may be interested in taking. But if they were to sign Derek Carr, that completely changes what they do at No. 9. 

So, here are a few candidates Carolina could consider in this scenario.

QB Anthony Richardson (Florida)

Although Frank Reich mentioned a possible five-year window to win with Carr, you may not get that. It would be smart for the Panthers to have a young quarterback sitting behind him and developing to eventually one day take over the reigns of the offense. Richardson needs this type of situation, so it would benefit both sides. The only question is, does Richardson make it all the way to No. 9?

WR Quentin Johnson (TCU)

The more I watch of Johnson, the more I fall in love with his game. He, in my mind, is clearly WR1 in this draft class and it would finally give Carolina another dynamic option on the outside to pair with DJ Moore. At 6'4", 215 pounds, Johnston can be that guy that can go win the 50/50 shots downfield and make contested catches over the middle of the field - something Carolina has lacked. 

TE Dalton Kincaid (Utah)

Since they decided to move on from Greg Olsen, the Panthers haven't had a legitimate pass catching option at tight end. That could change with Dalton Kincaid, who many believe to be the best receiving TE in this draft. I know picking a tight end in the top 10 seems like a bit of a reach but if you sign Carr, you're looking to get him as many weapons as possible.

DE Lukas Van Ness (Iowa)

The Panthers have to add another pass rusher this offseason. It can't just be Brian Burns who is consistently getting after the quarterback. Van Ness totaled 13 sacks and 19 tackles for loss over the past two seasons and he wasn't even in the starting lineup. He's someone who is rising up draft charts around the league after a really strong showing at the NFL Combine. 

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