Northwestern held their 2019 Pro Day on Tuesday. While all 32 teams were reported to be present, the Carolina Panthers showed some special interest in one of the headliners, quarterback Clayton Thorson. According to Brad Biggs at the Chicago Tribune, the team brought in a group to evaluate Thorson and also met with him in the evening.
Coach Ron Rivera has said the team does not plan to sign a quarterback in free agency but has not ruled out adding one in the NFL draft, which makes Thorson an intriguing prospect. He had a strong four-year career as starter for the Wildcats, playing 53 games, throwing for 10,731 career yards, 61 touchdowns and 45 interceptions.
Like Cam Newton, Thorson (6-foot-4, 227 pounds) is a large dual-threat QB, rushing for 27 touchdowns across his four years, with 17 of them coming in the last two seasons.
All that said, Thorson’s ceiling is likely that of a solid backup in the NFL. If Carolina really likes him, they may not even have to use a draft pick. The Panthers can probably afford to wait until after to grab him, as there is a pretty good chance he goes undrafted.
Here’s some tape on Thorson.
Thorson vs. Notre Dame
Thorson vs. Purdue
If they do pick him up, he will compete for the QB2 job with Kyle Allen and Taylor Heinicke, who signed a one-year deal yesterday.
