Carolina Panthers use 3rd-round draft pick on QB Matt Corral amid Baker Mayfield trade speculation

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — With reports swirling Friday night that the Carolina Panthers could trade for disgruntled Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield, general manager Scott Fitterer waited patiently and traded into the third round for Ole Miss' Matt Corral.

While Fitterer didn't completely rule out adding a veteran to the quarterback room that now includes Sam Darnold, P.J. Walker and Corral, he emphatically said the Panthers are «happy with the group we have.»

«I never put an absolute on anything,» Fitterer said after Day 2 of the NFL draft. «We came into this weekend with the intention of getting a quarterback, and that's what we did. And we're going to go with this group.»

The Panthers spent a lot of time evaluating the top five quarterbacks for the draft, but after selecting NC State State left tackle Ikem Ekwonu with the sixth overall pick Thursday, Carolina was left without another pick until the fourth round.

Fitterer, who told starter Darnold earlier in the week he planned to add another quarterback over the weekend, didn't have to pull the trigger on a trade in the second round as no quarterback was taken after Kenny Pickett went No. 20 to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

After Desmond Ridder (Atlanta Falcons) and Malik Willis (Tennessee Titans) went in the third round, Fitterer made his move knowing the price would be considerably cheaper. He traded Carolina's fourth-round pick (No. 137) and next year's third-round pick to the New England Patriots to select Corral at No. 94.

A league source told ESPN that adding a quarterback in the draft always was Fitterer's first choice, although the Panthers hadn't totally ruled out a trade for Mayfield if the Browns agreed to pay a large portion of his 2022 salary ($18.58