Five NFL general managers — including Denver Broncos GM George Paton — attended the Pittsburgh Panthers vs. North Carolina Tar Heels college football showdown last week, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette‘s Johnny McGonigal.
The game, played at Heinz Field, featured several NFL draft prospects, but the two big names were quarterbacks Kenny Pickett (Pitt) and Sam Howell (UNC). Both quarterbacks played well, but Pickett’s Panthers got the edge over Howell’s Tar Heels with a 30-23 win in overtime.
Pickett went 25-of-43 passing for 346 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. Howell went 22-of-33 through the air for 296 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Howell also rushed 17 times for 28 yards and one score on the ground.
Two weeks ago, Paton attended a Liberty-Ole Miss game that featured quarterbacks Malik Willis (Flames) and Matt Corral (Rebels).
Last month, Broncos Wire published an early list of the projected top five quarterbacks in the 2022 NFL draft. Since then, Paton has scouted three of those quarterbacks in person (and more are likely on his schedule). It seems clear that Denver preparing for the possibility of making a QB change in 2022.
