Panthers coach Ron Rivera isn’t about to give away much of anything regarding his plans for the No. 1 overall pick in April’s draft, so take the following news with a grain of salt.
(Or, considering where Rivera said it, a dash of Zatarains.)
Rivera told Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer Sunday that the Panthers are still considering roughly eight players to take with the first pick. That list includes three quarterbacks, including Ryan Mallett of Arkansas.
Asked if Mallett was on a level below Cam Newton and Blaine Gabbert, Rivera blanched.
“I wouldn’t necessarily say that. Because as far as throwing the ball, you’ve really got to evaluate each guy’s strengths and weaknesses,” Rivera said. “And the other thing: There’s other positions were looking at, too.”
The other positions surely include the defensive line, where Marcell Dareus, Da’Quan Bowers, and Nick Fairley are sold as possibilities. Georgia wideout A.J. Green and LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson are two other names on Carolina’s list.
We don’t really know what to make of Mallett’s inclusion on the list, other than Rivera clearly prefers him to Jake Locker.
That doesn’t mean we really believe Mallett has a chance to go No. 1 overall.