The Panthers sat out a while after a trade up in round two but got back on the clock at No. 100 and took West Virginia quarterback Will Grier. After some buzz that Grier could be a late first-round selection, the Panthers landed the former Mountaineer at the end of round three, making this an excellent value pick.
This is the first time the team has drafted a quarterback since taking Cam Newton with the No. 1 choice back in 2011.
Ever since Carolina didn’t bring Derek Anderson back last year, there has been room for improvement behind Newton on the depth chart.
Grier certainly has some room to grow and is a prototypical developmental kind of quarterback, but sitting behind Newton for at least two years should allow him plenty of time to hone and develop his game before he’s ready to start, if it comes to that.
NFL teams want their backup quarterbacks to be reliable and not make mistakes above all else. Grier checks that box: he makes good decisions before the snap and is patient in the pocket, sometimes to a fault.
This pick likely means that either Kyle Allen or Taylor Heinicke will get bumped off the roster before the season. One of them will serve as the third-string QB. The other will have to find work elsewhere.
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