5 draft prospects for the Panthers to replace Christian McCaffrey in 2023

Carolina Panthers could draft Bijan Robinson

Christian McCaffrey was the workhorse and the only player guaranteed to generate yards no matter what was transpiring elsewhere. The Carolina Panthers have to find someone with similar capabilities to stand any chance of hitting the ground running under a new head coach.

Although they would likely need to move back into the first round, the benefits of bringing Bijan Robinson to the organization are there for all to see. The Texas prospect is arguably college football’s most electrifying player right now, boasting the necessary size and athleticism to become an instant hit on Sundays.

There is nothing Robinson cannot do on the field. He can bang between the tackles, get out on the edge and make people miss, with his blocking prowess something else that further bolsters his stock.

While positional value might dictate Robinson falls out of the top 15, any running back-needy team like the Panthers should examine his credentials carefully. There’s nothing to suggest he cannot be the next great dual-threat NFL weapon, which Carolina sorely needs after ending McCaffrey’s prolific 5.5-year stint with the franchise.

Should the Panthers go with a quarterback early as expected, then it’s then up to general manager Scott Fitterer to decipher whether it’s worth moving back up for Robinson depending on where he projects to land. A tricky situation, but they now have the assets to make this scenario a reality.