It’s really not as easy a choice as one might think. With the Carolina Panthers now in possession of the 1st overall draft pick after their blockbuster trade with Chicago, the pressure of picking the right franchise player has increased exponentially.
I know the draft is still a month and a few weeks away and it’s a bit early to speculate, but NFL teams clearly have it at the forefront of their minds. Why shouldn’t we?
As everyone pretty much knows by now, the Panthers have just become the most intriguing team to follow this offseason season as they not only traded up into the 1st overall pick slot, but they also gutted their immediate draft capital and traded away an important offensive player to do so.
Whether the Panthers ownership, management, and fans wish to hear this or not, the team’s 10-year future will be determined with their choice come draft night.
So, that makes this pick pretty important, right? Who will they take?
They have a decent amount of issues with D.J. Moore out the door as they have a gaping hole at quarterback, there’s no longer a #1 wide receiver, the current starting tight end is a blocking TE at best, the offensive line was all banged up by the end of the year, and the defense ranked in the bottom half of the NFL in total yards against (11th worst), passing yards against (10th worst), rushing yards against (15th worst), and points allowed (14th worst).
Drafting any of the top offensive lineman, offensive skill positions (ex: WR, TE, RB), or defensive players would be a very wise move for an organization that has been an abject failure since Cam Newton and that 2015 Panthers team dabbed their way to a Super Bowl.
But, if we’re all being honest, there’s no chance the Panthers don’t take a quarterback with their pick.
You don’t give up a Top-10 pick, another 1st round pick, two second round picks, and a bonified #1 receiver for any other position than a franchise quarterback. Or, rather, what the Panthers hope is a franchise quarterback.
I’d honestly me more surprised if the Smoky Mountains (NC reference) all vanished overnight than if the Panthers passed up on taking one of the five quarterback prospects. Though, the big question is which quarterback the Panthers will select as even though Alabama’s Bryce Young is the favorite for the #1 selection, there are definitely other prospects that could be better suited to the NFL level.
Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud was one of the most accurate passers in all of college football last season as he completed 258/389 attempts (66.3%, 3rd best in the Big Ten), Kentucky’s Will Levis ranked in the Top-10 for passing touchdowns in the SEC during his two seasons as Kentucky’s starting QB (2021: 24 TDs, 6th in SEC; 2022: 19 TDs, 7th in SEC), Florida State’s Anthony Richardson had the biggest rise among scouts at the NFL Combine due to his freak athleticism and he ranked 9th in the SEC for total yards in 2022 (3203), and Tennessee’s Hendon Hooker had off the charts passing stats with a 9.5 yards/attempt, 13.5 TDs-2 INT ratio, and a 70% completion percentage last year.
Personally, I’d go for either Stroud or Hooker as I find they have the most NFL-ready game and physique, even though Stroud’s mobility and Hooker’s age (he’s 25) are issues. Young is definitely the most naturally skilled quarterback of the draft, but he’s only 6’o” and 194 lbs.
Of course, there are examples of smaller QBs going on to do great things in the NFL (ex: Drew Brees), but there’s far more failures and busts in the “small QB” camp due to their size and physical limitations.
But what do I know? I’m just a kid from Massachusetts.
We’ll just have to wait and see where the Panthers management takes this dysfunctional franchise.
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