Best 2023 NFL Draft QB Fits for Frank Reich, Panthers After Trading for No. 1 Pick
The Carolina Panthers have endured a merry-go-round of moribund quarterback play ever since Cam Newton started to decline. Newton gave way to Teddy Bridgewater, who gave way to Sam Darnold, who gave way to Baker Mayfield.
After trying (and failing) to acquire Deshaun Watson last year, in 2023 the Panthers decided to eschew the free-agent route for a high-end rookie prospect. But just as with their pursuit of Watson, that rookie won't come cheaply.
Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Panthers sent the ninth overall pick, the 61st overall pick, a first-rounder in 2024, a second-rounder in 2025 and wide receiver D.J. Moore to the Chicago Bears. In return, the Panthers received the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 draft.
And their choice of this year's quarterback class.
There's no question the Panthers will select a signal-caller. The only question is who. There are four top prospects in the class—Kentucky's Will Levis, Florida's Anthony Richardson, Ohio State's C.J. Stroud and Alabama's Bryce Young. Each have things they do well. Each has question marks.
Which of these young quarterbacks is the top prospect under center this year? Which is the best fit for the Panthers? And which pick will lead off the draft in Kansas City on April 27?
We'll attempt to answer all three of those questions by ranking the likelihood each will be the first player to hear their name called outside Union Station.
4. Will Levis, Kentucky
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Before we go any farther, let's make one thing abundantly clear—if Carolina drafts Kentucky's Will Levis first overall after mortgaging the team's (near) future to acquire the pick, jaws are going to hit the floor from coast to coast.
But given that Joe Person of the Athletic tweeted Friday evening that Carolina may trade back down in the first round if the team likes more than one prospect, then anything is possible.
To be clear, there's plenty to like about Levis. The 6'4" 229-pounder has everything an NFL team could want from a quarterback, whether it's size, athleticism or arm strength. And while speaking to reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine, Levis made it clear that he views himself as both the best and most pro-ready passer in the class.
"Right now, I think I can bring [an NFL franchise] a championship team," he said. "I think I'm able to assimilate myself better than anybody else. That's the confidence I have due to my experience and my physical tools. I think I'll be able to plug into any offense, learn it well and become a leader very quickly, but obviously the goal is to progress. I want to be better every year. I want to be selected as high as possible, but at the end of the day I just want a team that believes in me. I've got to make somebody fall in love with me."
Per Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post, Levis isn't alone in that assessment.
"The best overall quarterback for the future is Will Levis," one scout said. "Everyone is focusing on this year's tape and ignoring last year's tape. They played the offense differently. Last year's tape shows everything you want in a quarterback."
In addition to scheme changes, Levis' play took a major step backward in 2022 because of personnel changes and injuries. And while his combine workout wasn't bad by any stretch, it wasn't as good as Richardson's or Stroud's.
Levis is a fine prospect. He could easily be a top-five pick. But he doesn't have Richardson's ceiling. Or Stroud and Young's floor.
Bleacher Report's NFL draft scouting department slotted Levis fourth among this year's quarterback class.
And trading up to the No. 1 slot for the No. 4 signal-caller isn't conducive to job security in the NFL.
3. Bryce Young, Alabama
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Not that long ago, Bryce Young of Alabama was the front-runner to be the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL draft.
But Young chose not to work out at the combine after checking in at just over 5'10". And after much bigger prospects like C.J. Stroud and Anthony Richardson shined in Indianapolis, concerns about Young's size (or lack thereof) started to ramp up again.
However, while appearing on Stephen A. Smith's Know Mercy podcast (via Mike Rodak of AL.com), Alabama head coach Nick Saban said NFL teams need to spend less time looking at measuring tape and more time watching game tape.
"We've all seen the 6'4", 225-pound guy that can throw it like a bazooka, but he can't make the choices and decisions, he can't distribute the ball, he can't throw it accurately," Saban said. "So, who's the better bet? I'm going on history, production, performance and Bryce Young's done it about as well as anybody."
Saban has a point. From a perspective of collegiate resume, no one in the class can touch Young. He completed over 65 percent of his passes, threw 80 touchdowns against just 12 interceptions and won a Heisman Trophy.
Arm talent. Accuracy. Athleticism. Feel for the game. Young has it all. Unfortunately, it's all packed into a small frame—and for Bleacher Report's Derrik Klassen, that's a problem.
"Young is an excellent college player who needs to climb over a number of obstacles to work in the NFL," he wrote. "He may very well do it—he has the accuracy, playmaking creativity and baseline processing skills—but he is a major size outlier with good-not-great physical tools."
The list of sub-200-pound quarterbacks who have enjoyed real success as a starter in the combine era is—there isn't one. It's just a bridge too far for some.
But Young can't be ruled out at No. 1 overall, for reasons that go beyond his talents and collegiate accomplishments.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Friday that Young is the preferred pick of Carolina owner David Tepper.
2. Anthony Richardson, Florida
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Before the NFL Scouting Combine, some had already pegged the Panthers as having their sights set on Florida's Anthony Richardson. ESPN's Matt Miller went so far as to say on NFL Live (via Zach Goodall of All Gators) Carolina was "all-in" on the 6'4", 244-pound athletic marvel:
"You definitely get the sense that they're all-in on Anthony Richardson. The athleticism is there. The arm strength is there. And you hear that this offensive staff, led by Frank Reich, they believe they can develop a quarterback with guys like Jim Caldwell, Thomas Brown, who they bring in from the L.A. Rams.
"So, you're going to do a lot of vertical things down the field. I think there's a good situation for Richardson. A top-10 pick, which we're all expecting. You can bring back Sam Darnold, who can really hold the door for a year and let someone like Richardson develop. I think you get him on the field immediately, see some packages for him. A lot like we saw at Florida in 2021, but then you get him ready to be that starter in 2024. I do think this is an ideal situation for him."
If that's the case, the Panthers are now in position to get their guy. And make no mistake, if Richardson lives up to his potential, he'll be remembered as the top quarterback in this class. And the class that came before it. And the class that came after it.
All the reasons to make Richardson the No. 1 pick were on display in Indianapolis. Richardson has the size of a fullback and the speed (4.43) of a wide receiver. His arm is as strong as any quarterback in the class. Long story short, in terms of ceiling, Richardson's the No. 1 prospect. Full stop.
However, turn on tape of Richardson's 2022 season at Florida and the reasons not to draft him are just as evident. His footwork and mechanics came and went—and his accuracy went with it. His ability to read defenses and work through progressions is a work in progress.
Of all the top quarterback prospects, Richardson is the one who will require the most patience. He's not ready to be an NFL starter—and may not be for a while.
Of course, Frank Reich is supposed to be quite the molder of quarterbacks, and it could be that the Panthers made this trade with the long game in mind.
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1. C.J. Stroud, Ohio State
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The Panthers didn't make this trade and sacrifice the draft capital they did without having a quarterback in mind. The prevailing opinion on social media is that quarterback is Ohio State's C.J. Stroud. While reporting for The Athletic, Panthers beat writer Joseph Person wrote that opinion is shared in league circles as well:
"The party line from the team will be that [Frank] Reich and general manager Scott Fitterer will use the next seven weeks to evaluate which of the big four quarterbacks they want: C.J. Stroud, Bryce Young, Will Levis or Anthony Richardson. But league insiders believe it will be Stroud, who's bigger than Young, more accurate than Richardson and more of a playmaker than Levis. Stroud put on a show of precision passing at the combine last week, and proved against Georgia in the College Football Playoff semifinals that he's not afraid to leave the pocket when necessary."
Stroud isn't as physically imposing as Levis or Richardson. He wasn't as accomplished collegiately as Young. And in terms of scrambling ability, he's the "worst" of the top four passers.
But "worst" is relative—Stroud is hardly a statue in the pocket. The pinpoint accuracy he showed off at the combine was on display in Columbus as well. He completed just under 70 percent of his passes at Ohio State with over seven times as many touchdowns as interceptions.
Stroud may not have the biggest arm in the class. But when you factor in his ability to put the ball in just about any spot on the field with fantastic touch and anticipation, it can absolutely be argued that he's the best passer of the bunch.
Perhaps most importantly, Stroud is the type of quarterback Reich has worked with for most of his coaching career—a more traditional drop-back passer. This isn't to say Richardson or Levis wouldn't fit in Charlotte—any coach worth his salt puts what his players do best over strict adherence to a scheme.
But if Carolina believes that Stroud is just as talented as (or more than) Richardson, Young and Levis, then being a better fit for Carolina's offense is just one more plus.
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