Carolina Panthers 2023 NFL re-draft at the bye week: Does Bryce Young go No. 1?

Round No. 5 (Pick No. 145)

Carolina Panthers draft Puka Nacua

• Wide Receiver | BYU Cougars
• Previous pick: Jammie Robinson (S)

The Carolina Panthers had high hopes that their underperforming skill position players would step up under Frank Reich and his highly accomplished coaching staff. Many were tipped for preseason breakouts, but that's been far from the case through six weeks - something that has to change as a matter of extreme urgency.

Terrace Marshall Jr. is drifting in and out. Jonathan Mingo hasn't made the immediate strides many thought. D.J. Chark is finding life difficult to create the separation needed consistently.

Adam Thielen is the one exception, but he's 33 years old and remains one of the slickest route runners around. Therefore, getting better weapons for rookie quarterback Bryce Young moving forward is of the utmost importance.

In this hypothetical re-draft, Puka Nacua is the choice. An unheralded prospect out of BYU, he's burst onto the scene for a Los Angeles Rams outfit that's performing way above expectations through six weeks.

The Rams needed someone to step up with Cooper Kupp missing the early stages of 2023. Nacua was the guy, demonstrating the sort of route-running and ball skills that Carolina expected from its playmakers right out of the gate.

One could argue that Nacua is benefitting from Sean McVay's inventive schematic concepts. However, offensive coordinator Thomas Brown comes from that particular tree, so he'd have similar thoughts on how to maximize the wideout's undoubted athletic attributes.

Much like the situation with O'Cyrus Torrence, most teams around the league are scratching their heads with Nacua, wondering why they couldn't see it like the Rams.