In a 2027 mock draft following the Myles Garrett trade to the Los Angeles Rams, Brent Sobleski of The Bleacher Report had the Carolina Panthers selecting South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers with the No. 11 overall pick.
At 6-foot-3 and 240 pounds, Sellers is a different kind of quarterback prospect than Bryce Young. Where the Alabama product's pre-draft concerns centered on his lack of size and raw arm talent, next year's highly touted prospect has both.Â
Because of that, the comparisons to Cam Newton came naturally, and it’s hard to argue with them. Sellers is a physical specimen with the kind of dual-threat upside that made the former Carolina star one of the most special players in Panthers history.
Carolina Panthers still believe in Bryce Young, but the 2027 quarterback class is deep
His best work came in 2024, when he threw for 2,534 yards and 18 touchdowns, completing 65.6 percent of his passes, and rushed for 674 yards and seven scores. However, his 2025 numbers dipped, dropping to 60.8%, 2,347 yards, 13 touchdowns, eight picks, and just 270 rushing yards.Â
That decision was all about stock. Sellers had the No. 1 overall pick buzz a year ago, but he didn't do enough to hold it. So he decided to return to college for another year to give his aspirations another chance.
The Panthers exercised Young's fifth-year option rather than extend him this offseason. That was an unmistakable message.
He has to prove it first.
Young went 8-8 in 2025 and delivered an NFC South title, but his contract situation heading into 2026 tells a different story than those wins. A long-term deal worth roughly $35 million per year is still on the table, but it hasn't been signed. The Panthers want to see something more before committing at that level.
Young is a cleaner passer than Sellers right now. His ability to process coverages and move through progressions is also superior. But Sobleski believes the Panthers' front office may not be convinced that's enough.
If Young puts together the kind of 2026 season the Panthers have been waiting for since he was drafted No. 1 overall in 2023, this mock becomes irrelevant noise. Stay atop the NFC South, push the passing numbers up, and the quarterback conversation disappears.
But 2027 is already shaping up to be one of the deepest quarterback classes in years. If Young doesn’t have a breakout season, Carolina still controls him through that fifth-year option, and Sellers will be right there.
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