Every day it looks more and more like the Carolina Panthers will be moving on from star quarterback Cam Newton. If that happens, they'll obviously need to find a new franchise player at the position.
Last year, Kyle Allen looked like a possibility early on. Things took a nosedive as the year went on though. The Panthers also selected Will Grier in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft. You could argue he could be the quarterback of the future for Carolina.
However, there are plenty of reasons to believe Grier is not the answer.
It seems like the Panthers might be thinking along the same lines as well. With that in mind, they'll be looking for a new quarterback this offseason. And, they could be looking to the draft for the answer.
If that's the case, Jordan Love could be a sneaky good fit for the Panthers in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Love is an interesting prospect. If you look at his numbers, he really didn't have a great 2019 season at Utah State. Love completed 61.9% of his passes for 3,402 yards and 20 touchdowns, but he also tossed 17 interceptions.
In comparison, his 2018 campaign was monumentally better. The quarterback completed 64% of his passes for 3,567 yards. He also threw 32 touchdowns compared to just six interceptions that season.
Clearly, Love struggled in 2019 compared to 2018. However, his stock seemed to rise. That could be attributed to a few things.
First, his overall numbers are still strong. The interceptions are a concern, but he was also playing on a college team that wasn't exactly loaded with talent. It's hard to stand out at quarterback without much help.
Then there's the fact that he is such a physical specimen. Love stands at 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds. He's got great size for the position, and that's something scouts tend to fall in love with.
However, the reason he would be a good fit for the Panthers is simple: arm talent.
Christian McCaffrey is an elite running back for Carolina, even if he you only allow him to carry the ball. He's also an elite receiver, racking up 116 receptions last season. That's nuts.
Due to that, the Panthers are clearly a passing team. There's an issue though. They need to open up the offense more. It tended to be painfully obvious that they were going to force feed McCaffrey.
That's upsetting because they do have talent at receiver (especially D.J. Moore). Jordan Love has the strength and talent to spread it around though. McCaffrey will still get his share of the load. In fact, 100 receptions will likely be a mark he hits quite often.
Love will be able to hit those short screens, or those wheel routes. But he'll also feed Moore deep. He'll find Curtis Samuel across the middle as well.
Love will make the most with the weapons he has. Which is big, because while the Panthers have good talent at the top, they aren't exactly deep at the moment. It's a weakness that caused them problems as they got deeper into the year.
Yes, turnovers were a serious problem for the Panthers at quarterback in 2019 and Love saw the same problem in college last year. He'll have a few weapons to play with in the NFL though. And when the depth becomes a problem, he's had experience working with little help as well.
Jordan Love might be seen as a little bit more of a project to some scouts. So, the Panthers might need to exercise some patience. But, the payoff could be enormous.
Follow Us
Subscribe