Panthers 7-round 2023 mock draft: Life after Christian McCaffrey

(Saul Young/The Knoxville News-Sentinel via IMAGN Content Services) Jalin Hyatt
(Saul Young/The Knoxville News-Sentinel via IMAGN Content Services) Jalin Hyatt /
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Carolina Panthers
(Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports) Bryce Young /

Carolina Panthers select Bryce Young

  • Quarterback | Alabama

The Carolina Panthers are currently picking at No. 3 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft. This puts them in a prime position to select a potential franchise quarterback.

Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, and the resurgent P.J. Walker are all out of contract next spring. One might come back, but with rookie Matt Corral missing the entire campaign with a broken foot, he’s unlikely to be ready for the starting job all things considered.

Carolina spurned the chance to take a blue-chip prospect under Matt Rhule. They didn’t go through with a daring trade-up for Justin Herbert in 2020 and preferred Jaycee Horn to Justin Fields in 2021, bringing Darnold into the fold instead.

If Bryce Young was there at No. 3 – or C.J. Stroud for that matter – the Panthers shouldn’t hesitate.

These two prospects are seemingly a class apart within this group. Although there are concerns about the Alabama star’s size, his poise and ability to take over games cannot be ignored given the current trend across the league.

Young is rarely rattled in the pocket, can make every throw imaginable, and has enough creative intelligence to make things happen on the move. The Panthers haven’t had anyone like that under center since Cam Newton was at the peak of his powers.