4 burning questions Panthers fans are asking ahead of Week 11 vs. Ravens

Alternative QB options for the Carolina Panthers

What happens if the Carolina Panthers win their way out of C.J. Stroud and Bryce Young’s territory? Do you talk yourself into Will Levis or Hendon Hooker? – Tyler Browning

Thank you for your question, Tyler. Welcome to the mailbag, my good friend.

As the Carolina Panthers continue to play competitive football, it’s likely they may end up with another couple of victories and out of position to draft potential franchise quarterbacks in Alabama’s Bryce Young and Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud.

Let’s consider this scenario. The Panthers win two more contests to finish 5-12 for a third consecutive season. Once again, they would likely be selecting from the 5-10 range, out of striking distance of the possibility for Stroud and Young. What then?

Will Levis is a media favorite. The arm, size, and mobility are certainly enticing. Though, he is wildly inconsistent and has never put together a stretch of games where teams would earmark the Kentucky product as a franchise-altering player under center.

Hendon Hooker is a Heisman Trophy favorite and is certainly a possibility for the Panthers on Day 2 of the 2023 NFL Draft. I’m not sold on the potential first-round talk due to his age and the steep transition he will likely face once at the next level.

Should the Panthers be out of the Young/Stroud sweepstakes, an alternative option would be Florida’s Anthony Richardson.

I’m all in on the potential idea of Richardson. He offers an elite arm with the ability to make every throw at all three levels of the field. The athleticism he possesses for his size is rare, which brings up the pro comparisons to former Panthers icon Cam Newton.

Sure, Richardson is still raw. He’s only started in a full season’s worth of games and is learning with each snap he takes. However, his growth this season has been very encouraging.

Should he declare for the draft this year, Richardson is the type of quarterback teams should be eyeing instead of Levis.

I don’t think waiting on a potential 2024 prospect or starting Matt Corral with very little NFL tape is the way to go. The Panthers must figure this out once and for all next spring through the draft.