The Chicago Bears had made it clear for quite some time that they were leaning towards trading out of the top overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, and they actually put their money where their mouth was when they traded the pick to the Carolina Panthers on Friday afternoon. Now that the Panthers have made this massive move, it's worth wondering who they intend on taking with the first pick in the draft.
It's safe to assume that if Carolina is making this massive splash, they intend on taking a quarterback with this pick. There are three or four solid quarterbacks that could be taken with this pick, which has sent many mock draft experts into a frenzy. But according to ESPN's Todd McShay, he still believes that Alabama quarterback Bryce Young will be taken first, even with the Panthers now set to pick first.
“But for now, I'm sticking with Young at No. 1. He's not only the top quarterback on my board but also my top overall prospect. Young has elite pocket presence and poise, delivering strikes to every level of the field. And if the Panthers can figure out their receiver issues, I think this could be a really good fit with new coach Frank Reich. Carolina has to get this right after finishing 31st in the NFL in QBR (27.6) last season and then sacrificing all these assets to move up, and Young could be the answer.” – Todd McShay, ESPN
Young is viewed by many folks as the top quarterback in this draft, so it's not necessarily surprising to see McShay sticking with him as the top overall pick even with this trade. Other potential options seem to be C.J. Stroud, Will Levis, and maybe even Anthony Richardson, who Carolina is reportedly high on. The Panthers have time to make their decision, but they need to get this right if they want to emerge as a playoff contender down the line again.
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