EXCLUSIVE: "I think they're pretty similar" - Panthers star believes franchise has two good QBs in Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield

With both Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield on board, the Carolina Panthers currently have two of the first three picks from the 2018 draft under contract. When the Panthers traded with the Cleveland Browns to acquire Mayfield, the expectation was that Baker Mayfield would automatically assume the the starting role.

That may be how it ends up playing out, but Baker Mayfield does not see it that way. He is fully expecting a quarterback competition with Darnold, who many have written off in Carolina.

Carolina Panthers tight end Colin Thompson is certainly expecting a tight battle between the pair, and has given his assessment of both quarterbacks during an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda's Inside the Huddle:

"I think they're pretty similar. But again, I know Sam really well. I got to play with him now this week on our second year together. And I know of Baker from watching him play."

He continued:

"They're both mobile. Sam is sneaky. Really fast. I think he had like a 40 or 50 yard rush last year and then through week three or four, he was leading the NFL in rushing touchdowns. So Sam can really run, Baker's mobile, too."

Thompson added:

"I know they're guys that are really competitive and have a ton of drive... So I think maybe there would be a difference of personality, but their playing ability is probably really similar in the sense that they do a lot of the same stuff. They both have control, they both can move, they both can run, they're both smart."

It remains to be seen which quarterback will get the starting role when the season begins.

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Who is better between Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold

Carolina Panthers v Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Thompson believes that there is very little between the two quarterbacks. There are some within the league that would echo those sentiments, but how do they compare statistically?

The NFL has become a pass-heavy league, so the focus on deep ball accuracy has become far more prevalent. Sam Darnold ranked near the very bottom for deep ball accuracy, in fact he has not ranked in the top-30 in four years. Baker Mayfield, on the other hand, was ranked 14th in 2020, and was still ranked above Darnold last year despite his torn labrum.

In terms of rushing, Sam Darnold has a slight edge and averages 3.9 yards per attempt with 10 rushing touchdowns in his career. Mayfield is at 3.6 yards per attempt with five touchdowns. Baker Mayfield has the edge on completion percentage, but it's tight with less than 2% seperating them.

A quick snap analysis would suggest that Mayfield has the edge, but it is by no means an insurmountable gap. It will be interesting to see if Sam Darnold can keep Baker Mayfield at bay. Realistically, his future depends on it.

If you use any of the above quotes, please credit Sportskeeda. More episodes of Sportskeeda's Inside The Huddle podcast can be watched here.