4 Carolina Panthers on the hot seat ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft
By Dean Jones
Which Carolina Panthers find themselves on the hot seat ahead of a critical 2023 NFL Draft for the organization?
Excitement is building about the Carolina Panthers finding their franchise quarterback from No. 1 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft. Something that's been the subject of fierce debate among fans as the team gets set for a hopefully prosperous future under the new regime.
The Panthers deserve credit for making this daring move. They've given up a significant amount of capital and wide receiver D.J. Moore for the honor, which brings its own set of pressure given the ramifications if everything goes wrong.
There's been enough doom and gloom around the Panthers in recent years, so it's nice to look forward with a sense of optimism. And if the correct signal-caller comes into the fold, a potential NFC South title in 2023 might be in the team's immediate future.
With this in mind, here are four Panthers firmly on the hot seat during the 2023 NFL Draft.
Panther No. 1
C.J. Henderson - Carolina Panthers CB
It's been surprising to see the Carolina Panthers ignore their cornerback options despite boasting a substantial amount of salary-cap space this offseason. However, that is likely to change during the 2023 NFL Draft at some stage.
Any further reinforcements could call into question C.J. Henderson's role next season. The former first-round pick is entering a contract year with more questions than answers about his long-term career aspirations, which is a major disappointment considering he was seen as the next great shutdown cornerback coming out of Florida.
If the Panthers don't like what they see from Henderson throughout the preparation period and there are alternatives acquired beforehand, it's hard to envisage a prominent role under Carolina's new coaching staff.