4 needs the Carolina Panthers must fill during the 2023 NFL Draft

Carolina Panthers must draft a QB

If you follow me on Twitter, you will know how adamant I’ve been about this topic. It’s time for the Carolina Panthers to draft a franchise quarterback.

There was the initial signing of Teddy Bridgewater, the acquisition and failed experiment of Sam Darnold while passing on Justin Fields in the 2021 draft, the trade for Baker Mayfield, and occasional starts by P.J. Walker. All this led to constant turmoil at football’s most important position.

The franchise is in an ample position to make a move for one of the top rookie quarterbacks in the upcoming draft. This is thanks to the capital acquired in the Robbie Anderson and Christian McCaffrey trades.

They have the ammunition to trade up. But the Panthers must consider the teams ahead of them that may not need a quarterback early in the draft.

Many are already aware of the four big-name quarterbacks in this upcoming draft class. Alabama’s Bryce Young is the top prospect, which means there is a possibility the Panthers trade up to the No. 1 overall selection to get him with the Houston Texans lurking at No. 2.

There is also Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud, a prospect with great intangibles and traits across the board. The signal-caller’s terrific showing in the college football playoff against Georgia left no doubt surrounding his NFL potential.

Then there are the two raw prospects. Kentucky’s Will Levis and Florida’s Anthony Richardson.

Both will need time to develop as neither seems ready to start from the jump. However, I’m willing to argue that Richardson could start sooner thanks in part to his pocket navigation skills, field vision, and elite athleticism.

Levis, on the other hand, suffers from inconsistency issues pertaining to ball security, lower-half mechanics, and accuracy. Even so, his problems are coachable and Carolina could be the right destination.

The time is now. With the roster in place to take over the NFC South, landing a quarterback prospect should be the team’s No. 1 priority in the upcoming NFL Draft.