NFL Scout: Anthony Richardson 'My Dark Horse' to Be Panthers' Pick over Bryce Young

The Carolina Panthers own the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL draft after acquiring it in a trade with the Chicago Bears this offseason, but it's not exactly clear what the franchise will do with the selection aside from it likely selecting a quarterback.

Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud and Anthony Richardson have all been linked to the Panthers leading up to the draft, and one NFL scout believes Richardson could be the player Carolina goes with.

"He's my dark horse to be No. 1," an AFC scout said, per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. "If there's an owner watching at the combine that was watching that, he might be like, 'That's the guy I want. I want that guy.'"

An NFC quarterbacks coach added: "When you stand next to him, it's like standing next to Cam (Newton), but [Richardson] throws the ball better. You hope he doesn't have to play this year."

Stroud and Young are widely believed to be the two best quarterbacks available in this year's class. However, Richardson has been talked about by draft analysts as possessing tremendous upside.

The Bleacher Report NFL Scouting Department lists Richardson as the second-best quarterback available this spring behind Stroud. B/R NFL Scout Derrik Klassen wrote of the former Florida Gator:

"Richardson's rare bundle of traits are worth a risky bet. Players with his build, athletic profile, arm strength and advanced pocket management are hard to find. Speeding up his process a bit and ironing out his accuracy will be necessary, but Richardson is a young player with plenty of room to grow, and hopefully, the right environment can foster that growth. Richardson would fit best in an offense that embraces both his athleticism and arm strength in the intermediate and deep sections of the field."

Richardson had a solid 2022 season with the Gators, completing 53.8 percent of his passes for 2,549 yards and 17 touchdowns against nine interceptions in 12 games, in addition to rushing for 654 yards and nine scores.

The 20-year-old has a lot of room to grow, but the belief seems to be that he'll be able to do that just fine.