Dave Canales Carolina Panthers
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The Carolina Panthers, along with NFC South rival Atlanta Falcons, are hosting Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King for a visit ahead of the NFL Draft.
After trading away veteran backup quarterback Andy Dalton, the Carolina Panthers are going to need to find a replacement behind Bryce Young. It’s now looking like that replacement could be coming from the NFL Draft.
The Panthers are rapidly doing their due diligence. That now includes a report that they are bringing in last season’s ACC Player of the Year, Haynes King, for a visit. The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets quarterback won’t just be visiting the Panthers, though. He’s also going to be stopping in with the Atlanta Falcons, making him an interesting target among multiple NFC South teams.
A once highly-touted quarterback recruit, King began his college career with the Texas A&M Aggies back in 2020. There, he ran into some injury issues and was largely a backup before he made the decision to transfer to Georgia Tech.
At Georgia Tech, King would start in 36 games and blossom into one of the best college quarterbacks in the entire country. That culminated in the 2025 season, when King completed 69.8% of his passes for 2,951 yards and 14 touchdowns to 6 interceptions. A dual threat, he also rushed for 953 yards and another 15 touchdowns on the ground. That was good enough to lead the Yellow Jackets to a 9-4 season when First-Team All-American, ACC Offensive Player of the Year, and ACC Player of the Year honors.
Where is Haynes King Expected to be Selected in the NFL Draft?
Haynes King Georgia Tech
GettyGeorgia Tech quarterback Haynes King
Despite his college accolades, Haynes King is generally not seen as an early-round NFL Draft pick. Fernando Mendoza and Ty Simpson are, likely, the only two first-round picks at the quarterback position this season. Though surprises do happen.
At the NFL Combine, King ran an impressive 4.46-second 40-yard dash and had a 1.56-second 10-yard split. That was the second-best mark for a quarterback in both the 40-yard dash and the 10-yard split. Notably, King put up the top mark among quarterbacks in the 3-cone drill and the 20-yard shuttle, running at 6.89 seconds and 4.17 seconds, respectively. Still, despite his athleticism, there are concerns about how he stacks up as a passer in the NFL.
On his latest Big Board, ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr. doesn’t even have King ranked in his Top 10 quarterbacks. That means, from the outside looking in, there isn’t a ton of interest in King. At the same time, a team like the Panthers could find something to like about him and be willing to spend a late-round pick on him.
The Panthers Recently Hosted Diego Pavia
Diego Pavia Vanderbilt Commodores
GettyVanderbilt Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia
The Carolina Panthers have been busy hosting potential quarterbacks. That recently included bringing in Diego Pavia, the undersized Vanderbilt Commodores quarterback who finished as the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy in for a visit.
There is room to criticize Pavia, both for being an undersized quarterback and seeming to struggle with his off-field maturity. At the same time, it’s hard to argue with his results, leading Vanderbilt to its most successful season in terms of wins in program history.
These visits make it clear that Carolina is in the market for a late-round quarterback. That would imply they’re hoping for a backup, or even a potential developmental project with high upside.
Carolina did ink Kenny Pickett to a deal this offseason. He has some experience and a first-round pedigree, which would seemingly make him the favorite to back up Bryce Young. However, it’s clear the team is very open to adding in the draft as well, be it Pavia, King, or someone else.