Panthers News: Adam Thielen, Bryce Young, draft rankings and Leonard Fournette

Carolina Panthers No. 3 in NFC draft class ranking

Much has been made about the Carolina Panthers' approach during the 2023 NFL Draft. An aggressive move to No.1 overall thrust the organization into the national spotlight, which ended by taking Bryce Young to hopefully solve their ongoing problems at the quarterback position.

Jonathan Mingo, D.J. Johnson, Chandler Zavala, and Jammie Robinson also came into the franchise throughout the selection process, which helps fill needs and adds a little extra energy. The Panthers didn't have much in the way of capital to go off, but it was a decent haul all things considered.

This was a notion seconded by Gilbert Manzano of Sports Illustrated, who placed the Panthers at No. 3 in his NFC draft class rankings behind the Seattle Seahawks and Philadephia Eagles.

"The Panthers automatically had one of the best draft classes the second they turned in their draft card with Bryce Young’s name. Young has all the ingredients to be considered a top-15 quarterback after his rookie season. Plus, he is walking into a good situation with Carolina having one of the best offensive lines in the NFL (though the Panthers didn’t settle, either, by adding second-round wide receiver Jonathan Mingo). Third-round defensive end DJ Johnson could also provide depth for a promising defense."

- Gilbert Manzano, Sports Illustrated

Johnson's selection, in particular, was intriguing. Carolina saw enough in the edge rusher to move up in the third round, but he'll need to impose himself quickly with age not on the player's side.

Grading and ranking before any player has taken an NFL field are unfair. Time will tell if Carolina made the right calls.