You don’t trade for the No. 1 overall pick without having an idea of where you’re going next. And it seems like some within the NFL also know where the Carolina Panthers are headed.
Shortly after the Panthers reached agreement on a blockbuster deal with the Chicago Bears for the 2023 NFL draft’s top overall selection, Joe Person of The Athletic reported that league insiders have a sense of who that selection will be. Person writes:
The party line from the team will be that [Frank] Reich and general manager Scott Fitterer will use the next seven weeks to evaluate which of the big four quarterbacks they want: C.J. Stroud, Bryce Young, Will Levis or Anthony Richardson. But league insiders believe it will be Stroud, who’s bigger than Young, more accurate than Richardson and more of a playmaker than Levis. Stroud put on a show of precision passing at the combine last week, and proved against Georgia in the College Football Playoff semifinals that he’s not afraid to leave the pocket when necessary. The Panthers passed on another Ohio State quarterback two years ago, taking Jaycee Horn at No. 8 when Fields was available.
As Person notes, Stroud shone during the throwing portion of the NFL combine, solidifying beliefs of his high-end talent as a passer. The 2022 Heisman Trophy candidate finished this past season having completed 69.3 percent of his attempts for 3,688 yards, 41 touchdowns and six interceptions.
