There is no doubt that the Carolina Panthers need an upgrade at the quarterback position. However, their pursuit of Deshaun Watson failed. Baker Mayfield isn’t interested in joining the franchise. Matt Ryan was moved to Indianapolis and Carson Wentz was shipped off to lead the Commanders. Outside of Jimmy Garoppolo coming off of shoulder surgery, the pick-ins are getting real thin for the Panthers.

As time passes it seems more and more likely that the team will have to find a savior in the 2022 NFL draft. And the latest reports reveal that General Manager Scott Fitterer and coach Matt Rhule have been kicking the tires on some of the top prospects in this class.

Unfortunately for the franchise, this QB class is on the weak side, and they don’t have picks in the second or third round of the draft. Meaning they will have to go for the gusto at sixth overall or find a gem in the fourth round and back.

With that in mind, here are the three QBs the Panthers are most likely to take, and then pray they can become a franchise signal-caller for the next decade.

Eric Barriere, Eastern Washington

Eric Barriere might be the biggest dark horse QB in the entire draft. At Eastern Washington, the 6-foot-1, 210-pound talent started 29 games and put up some absurd numbers during his four years in Cheney. He racked up 13,089 passing yards, 121touchdowns, and only 29 interceptions. Not to mention, he rushed for over 1,500 yards too.

Barriere also enters the draft on high after dropping 5,070 yards and 48 TDS last season in the Big Sky Conference. He has a big arm and a world of athleticism, however, not playing against elite competition leaves a whole bunch of question marks.

Nevertheless, there is a good chance he will still be on the board once round four comes along. Meaning he could be a steal of a project for a team like Carolina with low expectations and nothing but time to develop in 2022.