If the 2011 NFL Draft were to start in 20 minutes, the Carolina Panthers would already know whom they’d select with the No. 1 pick.

According to NFC South beat writer Pat Yasinskas of ESPN.com, Carolina has already decided to select Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck with the No. 1 pick if the redshirt sophomore enters April’s draft. Luck torched Virginia Tech for 287 yards and four touchdowns in Monday night’s Orange Bowl, but has yet to state his intentions about next season.

If Yasinskas’ report is accurate, then the Panthers obviously have decided that Jimmy Clausen was a waste of a second round pick in last year’s draft. Some regarded Clausen to be the most NFL-ready quarterback because he ran a pro-style offense for Charlie Weis at Notre Dame. But the rookie struggled mightily this year with his decision-making, his accuracy, his pocket presence, his leadership skills, with making the morning coffee for team meetings, with buckling his chinstrap and with parking in between the lines when he arrived to Bank of America Stadium on Sundays.

Making matters worse for the 2-14 Panthers is that they don’t have a second round pick after trading up for receiver project Armanti Edwards last year. He was a healthy inactive for most of the season and wound up hauling in a whopping zero passes for zero yards and zero touchdowns. The former Appalachian State star has plenty of raw talent and athleticism but given the current state of the Panthers, it’s fair to say that they made a bad decision in reaching for him last April.

Getting back to Luck, if he decides to return to Stanford then the Panthers can’t draft a quarterback at No. 1. Jake Locker had a brutal senior season, Christian Ponder didn’t even make it to halftime before being benched in Florida State’s bowl game last Friday and Blaine Gabbert of Missouri isn’t No. 1 material. Carolina will still get a great prospect with the top pick but it won’t be a quarterback if Luck stays in school.