While the Carolina Panthers face an unsure future at the quarterback position—even with PJ Walker playing relatively well at the spot for now—it is natural for mock drafters to hand them a long-term solution under center.
The latest 2023 mock draft from Pro Football Focus, however, saddles the team with a questionable choice with a polarizing prospect in Kentucky’s Will Levis. And that choice is especially questionable considering who they’d pass on—the generational talent in defensive end Will Anderson Jr. from the University of Alabama.
PFF lead draft analyst Mike Renner, who picks No. 3 overall for Carolina, writes:
“Levis is a pure tools projection. He possesses the best combination of arm strength and mobility in the draft class. NFL evaluators will also like that he’s played under two different NFL offensive coordinators. He just needs to improve his accuracy.”
This selection probably wouldn’t sit well with Panthers fans. While Levis may be worthy of a first-round investment, it would be a tough sell to pass up on a player like Anderson Jr., or even Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter, to force a fit with a “tools projection” quarterback.
Carolina fans should hope that one of the two “sure fire” quarterbacks (Alabama’s Bryce Young or Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud) drop to their team in the first round—wherever they’re ultimately picking from. Because taking a project at No. 3 over elite players would be an awkward start to a new season.
