Panthers Have No Margin for Error with No. 1 Draft Pick After 2023 Offseason Moves

The Carolina Panthers made the biggest potential franchise-changing move of this year's NFL offseason. But the chance to finally set things straight is completely different than making the right choice when the time comes to make a final decision.

By selecting Ohio State's C.J. Stroud with this year's first overall pick, the Panthers will have finally landed their long-awaited franchise quarterback. In doing so, Carolina should turn into a dark-horse contender in the NFC for this upcoming season and a long-term problem for everyone else.

General manager Scott Fitterer went to work after the franchise's fifth-straight losing season and started by trading up for this year's first overall draft pick. The move was born out of desperation, but the aggressiveness of such a trade set the tone for the entire offseason.

"We wanted to be in position to get a quarterback," Fitterer told reporters on Monday. "We're still going through the process right now. Obviously, we have our ideas—you're not going to make a move like that without having that pretty much cemented—but now we're going through the process of talking to players and really getting to know them."

Originally, Carolina owned the ninth overall pick after posting a 7-10 record under the supervision of the fired Matt Rhule and then interim coach Steve Wilks. The team essentially sat in no man's land entering the offseason.

It lacked a competent starting quarterback after searching for years and missing out on multiple opportunities, and it needed to jump ahead of multiple other QB-needy organizations.

Fortunately, the Chicago Bears ended up with the No. 1 selection. The Bears don't have a need at quarterback with Justin Fields behind center, and Fitterer had a long-standing relationship with Bears general manager Ryan Poles.

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"Scott and I have a pretty good relationship, being around each other on the road," Poles told NBC Sports' Peter King. "I think that played a big part of it. And trust. He wanted to get it done. He was clear with his intentions."

Ultimately, the Panthers sent this year's ninth overall selection, the 61st overall pick (thanks to the Christian McCaffrey trade), a 2024 first-round pick, a 2025 second-round selection and wide receiver D.J. Moore to claim the top spot from Chicago.

Upon trading for the No. 1 overall selection, the Panthers developed two primary goals.

First, creating a great supporting cast is always a fantastic buffer for a rookie signal-caller learning on the fly. Obviously, Moore's departure hurts the offense. However, the Panthers already have an up-and-coming offensive line after last year's additions of guard Austin Corbett, center Bradley Bozeman and the 2022 sixth overall draft pick, left tackle Ikem Ekwonu.

The front office did need to re-sign Bozeman this offseason, and the two sides agreed to a three-year, $18 million deal.

"He is a leader. He is an alpha," new Panthers head coach Frank Reich told reporters. "That's what you need from the center position."

Two days later, the Panthers agreed to a four-year, $25.4 million free-agent deal with running back Miles Sanders. The 25-year-old back is coming off a career year with 1,269 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns. He's also a capable receiver out of the backfield to give the Panthers another weapon.

Hayden Hurst, who signed a three-year, $21.8 million contract, adds a starter to the lineup and lengthens the tight end depth chart after his second career 50-plus-catch campaign.

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On Sunday, Adam Thielen agreed to a three-year, $25 million deal to join the upstart franchise. The two-time Pro Bowler already has a pair of 1,000-yard campaigns and two other seasons with 10 touchdowns under his belt. The 32-year-old veteran immediately gives the Panthers rookie quarterback a reliable target.

"I wanna be a part of building something—being a part of something to bring a championship to a city," Thielen said during an interview on The Pat McAfee Show. "... They want me to be part of the long haul and be part of a run."

Maybe the biggest addition will be someone the fans never want to see on the field. Andy Dalton, who signed a two-year, $10 million contract, will serve as the incoming draft pick's mentor after starting games at every stop of his 12-year career. Dalton's experience and help in the quarterback room will be invaluable.

"Really feel like we're putting this guy in a good position with the guys we've signed," Reich said of whichever quarterback they take in April.

However, a good position could be spoiled with the wrong choice.

The second goal—identifying the franchise cornerstone—is the most difficult, especially in a year when no consensus top quarterback prospect sits atop the boards. The Panthers have options, though one seems to be the most obvious answer.

Stroud told reporters at the NFL combine that he's been the best player in college football over the last two seasons. He's not wrong, either.

During that span, the two-time Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year ranked first with 85 touchdown passes and a 128.1 quarterback rating, second with a 91.9 passing grade and third with 8,108 passing yards, per Pro Football Focus. The site's Mike Renner also noted that Stroud "led all quarterbacks in completions (63) and adjusted completion percentage (55.3 percent) on deep passes" since the start of the 2021 campaign.

The former quarterback in Reich will see what Stroud does when working on schedule and within the construct of the offensive scheme and likely become giddy for all of the reasons that B/R scout Derrik Klassen stated:

"Stroud is a task-oriented passer and a very good one. Pre-snap, Stroud does well to identify potential blitzes, decipher man vs. zone tells and anticipate early weak spots in coverage. Ohio State's wide-open scheme helped with that in terms of presenting pre-snap indicators, but Stroud did well to take advantage.

"His rapid-fire throwing motion and ample arm strength make it easy for him to deliver on those opportunities as well. Stroud can comfortably rip the ball to the far hash for deep comebacks, out-breakers and back-shoulders balls as well as deliver into tight windows over the middle to complete seam-benders, posts and dig routes.

"There isn't a throw Stroud can't make when in rhythm, and his high-end flashes of touch placement are better than anyone else's in the class."

Should the Panthers still consider the likes of Alabama's Bryce Young and Florida's Anthony Richardson? Absolutely. They wouldn't be doing their job if they ignored two quality prospects. After all, Young is the best creative talent among this year's quarterbacks, and Richardson is a supreme athlete much in the same mold as Cam Newton.

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But Stroud provides the team with the best combination of precision from the pocket, prototypical size and athletic potential to create outside of structure. He could realistically step into the lineup from Day 1 and make a run at NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.

But while quarterback is the biggest piece of the puzzle, it won't be the final piece.

A speedy receiver remains a need. Then again, Carolina still holds his year's 39th overall pick, where they may be able to choose from Wake Forest's A.T. Perry, North Carolina's Josh Downs or Tennessee's Jalin Hyatt and Cedric Tillman.

The NFC South will be put on notice with this approach coupled with a young, talented defense now under the supervision of Ejiro Evero, who helped the Denver Broncos maintain a top-10 unit last year despite all of the team's offensive shortcomings.

Neither the Atlanta Falcons nor the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are truly set at quarterback with Desmond Ridder and Baker Mayfield, respectively. The New Orleans Saints should be the primary competition in the division, especially after signing Derek Carr to provide a stabilizing force behind center. Aside from that, though, the Saints, who also finished 7-10 last season, mostly treaded water with the rest of their recent acquisitions.

The rest of the conference is in flux. Aside from the Philadelphia Eagles, which have lost 10 free agents from this past season's Super Bowl team, the NFC's lack of depth is staggering.

The San Francisco 49ers still aren't settled at quarterback. The Minnesota Vikings have seemingly entered a soft reset. The New York Giants still need to add pieces on offense. The Seattle Seahawks will try to build off Geno Smith's surprise season. The Detroit Lions must prove they're a playoff contender. The Washington Commanders will enter the season with Sam Howell and Jacoby Brissett behind center. The Green Bay Packers finally seem willing to move Aaron Rodgers. The Dallas Cowboys may be the only team with a winning record last season to drastically improve their roster by bringing in Stephon Gilmore and Brandin Cooks.

The Panthers know this offseason is a potential game-changer for the entire organization, and they're on the precipice of something big.

When asked about this offseason's approach, Reich summed it up succinctly: "We mean business."

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Brent Sobleski covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter, @brentsobleski.