When it comes to the early sets of 2023 mock drafts, it’s become commonplace to hand the Carolina Panthers a quarterback. This, of course, makes plenty of sense given that this passer-needy franchise is desperate to draft and develop a guy of their own—especially with head coach Frank Reich now onboard.
But that’s not what NFL media analyst Daniel Jeremiah did on Tuesday. In his latest first-round projections, Jeremiah gives Carolina a hog molly—Northwestern offensive lineman Peter Skoronski.
“For this mock, I’m assuming the Panthers don’t trade up to land a quarterback and instead go the veteran route at the position,” he writes. “Skoronski can slide inside to play guard in Carolina, teaming up with Ikem Ekwonu to give the Panthers two building blocks for the offensive line. New head coach Frank Reich knows the impact of investing heavily in the line of scrimmage, having spent time on the Eagles’ staff before he left for Indianapolis.”
This is a bit of a head-scratcher given what the team currently has at tackle in Ikem Ekwonu—last year’s sixth overall pick—and Taylor Moton. They’re also invested in their guards—2021 third-round pick Brady Christensen and 2022 free-agent signing Austin Corbett.
Although there is always an argument to be made for taking the best player available, and Skoronski is one of the best players in the class, this feels like a luxury pick for a team that still needs to address the most important position in the game. Mock drafts are never perfect, but it is probably safe to say that this is not the direction the Panthers will be moving towards this spring.
