In an otherwise ugly outing, the Carolina Panthers were able to pull out a pretty outcome on Sunday. But, depending on who you ask, it came at a cost.
The 10-7 victory in Week 18 over the New Orleans Saints cemented the Panthers into a 7-10 mark on the season, which is quite remarkable given their miserable 1-5 start. It also cemented their position in the 2023 NFL draft order—where they’ll be selecting from the ninth overall spot in the first round.
Carolina was one of six teams to end the 2022 campaign with that 7-10 record. The .472 percentage in their strength of schedule, though, placed them above four of those neighbors—the New Orleans Saints (.507), the Tennessee Titans (.510), the Cleveland Browns (.524) and the New York Jets (.539). (The Saints’ and Browns’ picks, via trade, will belong to the Philadelphia Eagles and Houston Texans, respectively.)
This, discounting a trade of their own, marks the second time in franchise history that the Panthers will pick from the No. 9 slot—with the first resulting in the selection of linebacker Luke Kuechly in 2012.
