Draftmas Eve roundup … With just a little over 24 hours until the start of the 2022 draft, you have to wonder just a little bit what the heck is going on down in Carolina. Yesterday Panthers’ G.M. Scott Fitterer gave every indication that they are at least seriously considering taking a QB with the 6th pick overall at tomorrow’s draft. However, today owner David Tepper appeared to throw some cold water on the notion at a pre-draft presser. Tepper didn’t directly address what exactly the Panthers are going to do at #6, but did say that he thought they had “a very good quarterback in Sam Darnold!” Tepper also defended the decision – which most observers believe was his decision – to trade multiple picks to the Jets last year for Darnold who didn’t have a good season at all in 2021, but is guaranteed a salary of almost $19M this season. At the same time, there is growing sentiment that if the Panthers are unlikely to consider trading for Baker Mayfield if they do not get a QB tomorrow night, although there is some speculation that they might be open to a deal for the 49ers Jimmy Garoppolo at some point down the road. One final point on the Panthers, there also appears to be a growing sentiment that if the Panthers don’t opt to take a QB at #6 that they are more than likely to trade down with Philadelphia the most likely trade partner … There were also some on-again, off-again rumblings today that the NY Jets were close to a deal with the 49ers for disgruntled WR Deebo Samuel that would include the 10th pick in tomorrow’s opening round … There are reports out of Houston that the Texans really like former LSU CB Derek Stingley for the 3rd pick. Recall that the Texans were also all over Cincinnati CB Sauce Gardner during pre-draft testing. If that is the way they want to go, and new head coach Lovie Smith has always been a defensive guy, they almost certainly will get a shot at both. While the Texans don’t seem inclined to move out of the third pick, reportedly they would happily trade out of the 13th pick and might get some interest from Kansas City which reportedly wants to move up to get either a big-time wideout or a defensive stud and, with two first and ten other picks have the ammo to get something done … Figure by this time just about every team has its board set, but we keep hearing that Florida State OLB Jermaine Johnson could go a little earlier than projected – say in the 7-10 range – especially if the top three DEs (Hutchinson, Walker and Thibodeaux – are off the board within the first 4-5 picks. Same story for Alabama WR Jameson Williams who was considered to be the clear top prospect at the position before tearing an ACL during the national championship loss to Georgia. Williams’ rehab is reportedly going well and with questions about both USC’s Drake London and Garrett Wilson of Ohio State, who are the consensus top two prospects at the position it is possible that there are teams out there willing to take the gamble the former Tide star who averaged a tad under 20 yards per catch last fall gets back to 100% sooner rather than later.
