Which way could the Carolina Panthers go with their 2023 NFL Draft selections as the NFL Scouting Combine approaches?
With the Senior Bowl in the rearview mirror, the Carolina Panthers are filling out their coaching staff under new head coach Frank Reich with the NFL Scouting Combine only a few weeks away. By then, his staff should be complete and we will know who the offensive coordinator is if he isn’t already with the franchise.
It is a crucial offseason for the Panthers as they have yet to solve their quarterback situation. Could it finally be resolved in the upcoming NFL Draft? That is a good possibility, though there is still so much unknown as to what will happen in late April.
General manager Scott Fitterer is now in control of decision-making regarding the roster personnel, something that Matt Rhule was in charge of over the last few years. This is also a big offseason for the former Seattle Seahawks front office executive as he will be pressured to find the team’s future franchise signal-caller with the No. 9 overall selection.
In my third mock draft of the offseason, I will be looking into a potential scenario where the Panthers make a move in the first round. However, it’s something that many fans have not considered with the team’s current draft capital.
This mock draft will feature several Senior Bowl participants that have improved their draft stock with good weeks in Mobile, Alabama. Stock that they could further increase further during the upcoming Scouting Combine.
Using the NFL Mock Draft Database simulator, I took a look at which way the Panthers might go with their upcoming selections in this unique mock draft scenario.
Carolina Panthers select Anthony Richardson
- Quarterback | Florida Gators
The Carolina Panthers have been unable to fill the void left by Cam Newton since he was initially released in 2020. In this mock draft, they finally draft his replacement – a player who resembles so much to his predecessor.
Anthony Richardson is a controversial quarterback that does not need to be. He offers the tools you would love to have, displaying rare athleticism at the position to go along with great rushing ability and a high-level rocket arm that can reach every level of the field with ease.
The controversy, however, is the number of false narratives around the redshirt sophomore.
Richardson is nowhere close to being a two-year project like some make him out to be. While he did struggle in his first three games in 2022, the prospect showed continuous improvement with his upper and lower body mechanics as well as his accuracy.
Box scores don’t tell the full story, which is why the film and the context of Richardson’s situation are important. As my No. 3 quarterback in the upcoming draft, the former Florida star is more inexperienced than raw. His mental processing, pocket awareness, and navigation skills are incredible despite having only 13 starts to his name.
I would argue Richardson is one of the safer options at the position in this draft class considering his athleticism allows for a larger margin for error. He could start as a rookie. Furthermore, the former four-star high school product could open the season in Frank Reich’s offense as the team’s No. 1 option.
If Richardson hits, he could be one of the best quarterbacks at his position in a few short years.
Round No. 1 (Trade)
Carolina Panthers trade up to No. 30
With picks acquired in the trade that sent running back Christian McCaffrey to the San Francisco 49ers, Scott Fitterer and Reich agree to trade up back into the first round with the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for pick No. 39, No. 132, and a 2024 third-round selection.
This is a move that could secure them another impactful rookie contributor in the first round. One that could help secure an area of Ejiero Evero’s defense that was ignored last offseason.
Carolina Panthers select Isaiah Foskey
- Defensive End | Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Outside of quarterback, finding a No. 2 pass rusher opposite of Brian Burns is a priority for the Carolina Panthers this offseason. After choosing to let Hasson Reddick walk in free agency, those in power made an unsuccessful gamble with their current group of edge rushers.
While Burns became a franchise player, others tasked with manning the other defensive end position could not match Reddick’s production whatsoever. In this mock draft scenario, the Panthers take another gamble that doesn’t cost them much in terms of capital.
By trading up with the Kansas City Chiefs, general manager Scott Fitterer lands one of the top pass-rushing prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft, Notre Dame’s Isaiah Foskey. The former four-star high school recruit offers a ton outside of the film room as he was a consensus All-American and became the Fighting Irish’s all-time sack leader.
Foskey is also a great athlete who can win with speed and speed-to-power. There are a lot of flashes on film as a pass rusher and run defender, providing sufficient pad level and explosive strength to allow himself to be an all-around defender at the line of scrimmage.
While he still has plenty of room for growth, the flashes on film make Foskey worth the risk to trade back into the first round.
Carolina Panthers select Dalton Kincaid
- Tight End | Utah Utes
It’s no secret the Carolina Panthers are in the market for a tight end. That became official after an underwhelming season from Ian Thomas and Tommy Tremble.
Thankfully, Frank Reich and Scott Fitterer will have plenty of choices in free agency and the NFL Draft this offseason. There is an absurd amount of talent on the open market and in this upcoming class.
Whichever direction the team chooses to go, there is no bad option available.
In this mock draft, the Panthers use their lone second-round selection on Dalton Kincaid. The one-time Utah star weapon was one of the most productive players at his position this past season, catching 70 passes for nearly 900 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. A lot of those yards can be directed at his run-after-catch ability, which is considered amongst the best in the country.
The former University of San Diego player is the prototypical receiving tight end that NFL teams are looking for. He’s a fluid route runner with outstanding ball skills to pair with his incredible toughness and plenty of temperament as a blocker both from in the slot and in-line on running plays.
Kincaid will need to add more functional strength and improve his consistency as a blocker. However, he’s already good enough to be an immediate contributor at the next level, providing Anthony Richardson with a potential security blanket in this scenario.
Carolina Panthers select Jayden Reed
- Wide Receiver | Michigan State Spartans
The Carolina Panthers struck out on the Shi Smith experience, leaving the former South Carolina Gamecock fighting for a 53-man roster spot in 2023. This means the team needs a true playmaker in the slot or someone that can be a reliable No. 3 wideout with Laviska Sheanult Jr. expected to be the gadget player in Frank Reich’s offense.
This year’s NFL Draft offers plenty of talent in the last two days of the draft, with analysts projecting them to be tight in terms of talent and where they are projected. In this mock draft, the Panthers acquire a standout player from the Senior Bowl, one that could provide inside-out versatility.
Enter, Jayden Reed.
The former Michigan State Spartan showed out big-time in Mobile, Alabama two weeks ago. Reed displayed the ability to show late hands at the catch point while offering a nice repertoire of release packages at the line of scrimmage to beat defenders cleanly off the ball.
Reed offers the short-area quickness and strong lower half to create yards after the catch, making him a potential playmaking receiver in the slot while also adding potential value as a returner on special teams. Something the Panthers are looking for this offseason as well.
Carolina Panthers select Sydney Brown
- Safety | Illinois Fighting Illini
Do the Carolina Panthers have a true need for safety? No, they do not.
However, there is a chance Jeremy Chinn will be playing a lot more in the box than he has in the last couple of seasons in Ejiro Evero’s defensive scheme.
While I do not expect him to last this far in the draft, Sydney Brown is a playmaking and instinctual defensive back who can play in multiple roles on Carolina’s defense from the moment he steps onto an NFL field.
Brown was arguably the best player at the Senior Bowl not named Dawand Jones. He displayed excellent short-area quickness and fluidity in space to be able to transition with wide receivers in man coverage, providing the ability to be a potential starting nickel at the next level.
The Ontario native offers great functional athleticism and closing speed that allows him to play downhill and fill alleys while roaming the backend as a potential starting free safety. This is a big reason why he secured six interceptions for the Fighting Illini last season.
Brown can bring some pop in run support despite his lack of length and tackle radius. Even so, he’s a very smart football player who would be an immediate impact defensive back for Evero’s defense, which is expected to make significant strides under his leadership.
Carolina Panthers select Tyjae Spears
- Running back | Tulane Green Wave
After trading Christian McCaffrey, the Carolina Panthers enjoyed plenty of success with the ground game thanks to breakout years from D’Onta Foreman and Chuba Hubbard. Even so, the team needs to be prepared for the possibility that the former could walk in free agency, leaving a good-sized hole at running back.
The free agent market and draft class at the position, like the tight end options, is stacked with talent and the front office should not feel pressured to pursue the position in one singular area. In this mock draft, however, Carolina gets a potential Day 2 running back in the fifth round.
After the week he had at the Senior Bowl, Tyjae Spears could be one of the first running back prospects off the board. The Tulane product rushed for more than 1,500 yards and 19 touchdowns for the Green Wave in 2022, and a standout performance in Mobile only increased his stock.
If Spears has another strong weekend at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, the Panthers might have to take him much higher than this if they identify the do-it-all weapon as a primary target.
Spears is the definition of an explosive runner who will use his second-level acceleration and high-level burst to blow by defenders and break tackle angles in the run game. The redshirt junior also offers a great combination of vision, contact balance, and flashes of passing-down skills that could make him a three-down back at the next level.