Tracking 2023’s latest 1st-round projections for the Panthers

If the Panthers don’t regret passing on Justin Fields, they definitely should at this point. They’d be wise not to make the same mistake twice, and though Richardson isn’t anywhere near the level of prospect Fields was coming out, he’s still got sky-high potential that could make him a superstar down the road.

*Mock trade with Seattle Seahawks (No. 5)

GM Scott Fitterer calls his old friends in Seattle to jump ahead of other teams for Levis. He trades first-round picks this year and next, with Seattle sending back a Day 3 pick to even out the exchange. Levis’ physical tools and competitiveness are appreciated by scouts, and his inconsistency in footwork and moving off primary reads are obstacles that Carolina hopes he can overcome in much the same way Josh Allen has with the Bills.

It’s likely the Panthers will try to trade up to secure a quarterback, but in this mock draft, general manager Scott Fitterer can hold tight and save his draft capital with Stroud available at No. 9. Re-signing Sam Darnold as a bridge quarterback and drafting Stroud to work with new coach Frank Reich is a smart team-building move. The Ohio State quarterback has awesome accuracy to all levels of the field and showed in the College Football Playoff semifinals against Georgia what he can do as a runner and mover in the pocket.

Stroud’s 85 touchdown passes to 12 interceptions over his college career is impressive, and he finished second in QBR in 2022 (88.9). And although Stroud might need time to adjust to an NFL scheme, he has the passing ability to become the franchise quarterback this team so badly needs.

Calling Stroud a consolation prize here would be doing a disservice to how good of a prospect he is. He’s an accurate and efficient pocket passer who is tremendous at avoiding sacks. He earned overall grades of 92.2 and 88.9 in the past two seasons.

*Mock trade with Arizona Cardinals (No. 3)

With the first quarterback off the board and multiple teams ahead of them desperate to find their franchise guy, the Panthers open the Frank Reich era with a splash, trading up and taking a major swing on the biggest lottery ticket in the draft.

Anthony Richardson’s tape doesn’t make him the cleanest QB prospect to evaluate, but he’s more polished than his reputation lets on. His footwork and feel in the pocket indicate comfort in chaos, which is impressive given how easy it would be for him to tuck and run at the first sign of trouble. He has some off-target throws but not as many awful decisions, and his dynamic ability to create offense would give Carolina the juice to establish a new offensive identity.

Anthony Richardson is one of the most exciting prospects in this class. The problem: he’s short on experience, and while his physical tools are rare, the Panthers are in dire need of a starting QB right now. David Tepper could choose to go the free agency route (again), but that has been, shall we say, a crapshoot. At the end of the day, Carolina may have to move inside the top 5 if it wants to get a quarterback with Day 1 starter potential.

Panthers fans are either going to love or hate this pick, but the fact of the matter is that this is a pick the team has to make. Similar to the Colts, the Panthers have tried to address their QB position through veteran free agents and trades and all of them have failed. It’s time to take a swing on a young quarterback in the draft and there is no bigger swing than Anthony Richardson. Richardson is by far the most physically-gifted quarterback in this class, showcasing rare athleticism and a huge arm. He hasn’t played a ton of football and needs some development, but his upside is higher than any other quarterback by a good margin.