Which major draft needs must the Carolina Panthers focus on after some impressive signings throughout the opening few weeks of 2023 free agency?
Without question, the Carolina Panthers have had the loudest off-season so far in the NFC South. Putting together a blockbuster trade to acquire the No. 1 pick and making a myriad of moves in free agency.
The Panthers have an aggressive owner who is willing to do whatever it takes to win now. For a team that hasn't been relevant for the last half-decade, it is an exciting time.
Of note, the Panthers added Miles Sanders, Adam Thielen, D.J. Chark, Shy Tuttle, Hayden Hurst, Andy Dalton, and Vonn Bell in free agency. Carolina is attempting to take advantage of a division that is in complete dysfunction. Only the Atlanta Falcons are adding talent this off-season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New Orleans Saints losing far more than they are acquiring.
The Saints did add quarterback Derek Carr but continue to put off an obvious rebuild. Tampa Bay is tearing it all down after Tom Brady retired, so it looks like a two-team race in the NFC South and will likely come down to how the Panthers execute in the draft.
On the heels of free agency, there are clear positions Carolina will be targeting during the 2023 NFL Draft. And one looks far more obvious than the others.
Carolina Panthers need a QB
The Carolina Panthers have reason to feel as if the team has greatly improved at the quarterback position already. Adding Andy Dalton gives them arguably a better second option than they had to start all of last season. He is a great veteran to mentor and a solid backup option in case of injury.
Carolina made the gutsy move of trading up to the No. 1 overall pick and their draft class will be defined by whether or not they make the right decision. C.J. Stroud and Bryce Young have been the clear choices since before the 2022 season.
Will Carolina make the safer decision and take one of the two prospects, or is there actual truth to the Anthony Richardson speculation? It's a nice spot for those in power to be in - one that cost a significant amount of capital and wide receiver D.J. Moore - but ignoring the outside noise before coming to their conclusion is vital.
Taking Stroud makes the most sense from the outside looking in considering the roster being built in Carolina. Young would make a level of sense as well but comes with obvious injury concerns and lacks the prototypical size normally associated with Frank Reich quarterbacks.
Whatever decision the Panthers ultimately make will define Reich and general manager Scott Fitterer's time with the organization and the 2023 NFL Draft class overall.
Carolina Panthers need a WR
Carolina Panthers fans are understandably excited after the team added Hayden Hurst, Adam Thielen, D.J. Chark, and Miles Sanders this off-season. However, don't be fooled by the improved depth - this is still a team that is going to have to replace D.J. Moore, who has been quietly elite despite never being given an above-average passer to work with.
It is a business and the decision to ship Moore to the Chicago Bears in exchange for the chance to select a franchise quarterback makes sense. If we're being objective, it also leaves a huge hole that the Panthers have yet to fill even with their free-agency moves.
Thielen and Chark are solid secondary options. But neither is close to a No. 1 wide receiver these days.
With Carolina's picks limited and the first round focusing on a quarterback, the Panthers will have to add to the position in a later round hoping to find the No. 1 option they might be lacking if Chark and Thielen cannot meet expectations. Although Terrace Marshall Jr.'s potential for further growth next season cannot be overlooked, either.
Carolina fixed their depth issues at the skill positions but did so without adding a true No. 1 option. There is no one on this offense that a great defense is going to fear on third and fourth down plays.
Moore and Christian McCaffrey incited that in even superior opponents. Carolina losing both players in a few short months isn't being talked about enough.
Carolina Panthers need a CB
With the division on the line against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2022, it was a lack of depth and talent at the cornerback spot that eventually cost the Carolina Panthers. Mike Evans and Tom Brady simply played catch - realizing that the secondary wasn't capable of stopping them consistently despite the front seven's impressive level of play.
Part of this is Carolina's need to get healthy and the other is a need to improve their depth at the position. It would be surprising not to see the team take at least one corner in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Signing safety Vonn Bell was a step in the right direction. This should help erase some of the big plays Carolina gave up last time around.
Xavier Woods and Bell should be a productive duo. But with the injury struggles Carolina has had in the secondary, adding alternative options to both the safety and corner positions should be a priority.
The Panthers shouldn't be expected to draft a starter at the position. But a fourth or fifth option they view as a development project and an upgrade over the players they were forced to utilize at the end of the 2022 season should be strongly considered.
It wouldn't be surprising to see the position addressed on Day 2. Perhaps from the No. 39 overall selection if the right prospect falls into their laps.
Carolina Panthers need an edge rusher
Looking at the teams that won a playoff game during the 2022 season, one theme was common. You will not make it far in the postseason without a capable pass rush.
It isn't an accident that the final two teams were among the best at rushing the passer. For the Carolina Panthers to take the next step and return to the playoffs, they cannot simply be Brian Burns or bust when it comes to impacting the opposing quarterback.
The team needs someone else to come alongside Burns. This comes after making the mistake of letting Haason Reddick walk away during free agency in 2022.
Once the Panthers select their new franchise quarterback, the team's next draft pick should clearly either be a wide receiver or an edge rusher depending on who they believe to be the best player on their board.
Carolina doesn't need another star pass rusher but simply a capable one that can take advantage of all the attention Burns and Carolina's interior pass rush will require. The Panthers could opt to add multiple options in free agency and the draft, bringing in one of the many rotational veterans still on the free-agent market.
If the Panthers get their picks right in 2023, then a potential NFC South title might not be that far fetched during the first season under Frank Reich.