Panthers' Top 2023 NFL Draft Targets

The 2023 NFL draft starts with the Carolina Panthers.

Ever since the Panthers made the decision to trade up from No. 9 to the No. 1 pick, they have controlled the draft board ahead of Round 1 on Thursday night.

That first pick will join the history books as a top draft pick and carry the weight of a franchise that is looking to build off a 7-10 record last season.

It's obvious the move was made with a new franchise quarterback in mind. After dealing with veteran castoffs like Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold, Carolina got aggressive to get new head coach Frank Reich a blue-chip QB prospect to mold.

So, here's a look at the two prospects the team will likely be deciding between for that top pick and a bonus target who would make sense with the Panthers' second-round pick at No. 39.

QB Bryce Young, Alabama

AP Photo/Butch Dill

Alabama quarterback Bryce Young warms up before the start of the Sugar Bowl NCAA college football game against Kansas State Saturday, Dec. 31, 2022, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

The smoke around Bryce Young heading to Carolina has been incredibly thick, so there's either fire or the Panthers have put out one of the greatest covers in draft history.

DraftKings Sportsbook doesn't even have odds for the No. 1 pick anymore. The 21-year-old was an overwhelming favorite when they were taken down.

From a skills standpoint, Young has just about everything you'd want to see in a quarterback prospect. His arm talent is not otherworldly, but he can make every throw. Between the ears, he shows the ability to make pre- and post-snap reads with ease.

When things break down, the Alabama product is a special playmaker who can create big plays outside of structure. He's not going to have a ton of rushing production, but he can buy time and make plays downfield.

The only real question is whether he will be able to hold up in the NFL. At 5'10", he weighed in at the NFL combine at 204 pounds, but he is realistically closer to 190 pounds.

The list of quarterbacks who have succeeded and weighed under 200 pounds is frighteningly small. The Panthers appear ready to find out whether Young can be an outlier.

QB C.J. Stroud, Ohio State

Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

ATLANTA, GA DECEMBER 31: Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) runs with the ball during the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl college football playoff game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Georgia Bulldogs on December 31st, 2022 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The odds are overwhelmingly against it, but the other option for the Panthers is C.J. Stroud.

With all of the reports and rumors out there that Young is headed to Carolina, it wouldn't make sense for them to simply take Stroud instead at No. 1.

If we want to play out a conspiracy theory, it is possible the Panthers have leaked the Young interest to try to get the Houston Texans to give up some draft capital to move from No. 2 to No. 1.

If that's the case, then Stroud is the other candidate to go to Carolina. ESPN's David Newton reported on April 16 there are "many in the league" who believe the selection will be Stroud. That's not that long ago.

Stroud has the prototypical size Young doesn't have. The 6'3", 214-pounder doesn't come with those same questions about seeing over his offensive line or holding up against the physical rigors of the NFL.

The Ohio State product doesn't quite have the same ability to make plays outside of structure. There aren't a lot of examples of him making plays outside the pocket on his film, but he did it enough against Georgia to believe it's something he is capable of building into his game.

If the Panthers pull an audible here, they wouldn't be making a huge mistake.

WR Rashee Rice, SMU

AP Photo/Gareth Patterson

SMU wide receiver Rashee Rice looks to run after catching a pass during the first half of an NCAA college game against TCU on Saturday, Sept. 24, 2022, in Dallas, Texas. (AP Photo/Gareth Patterson)

Regardless of whether the Panthers go with Young or Stroud, they have to improve the weapons around the new quarterback.

Trading away D.J. Moore to get the No. 1 pick hurts, and signing Adam Thielen is a minor step in the right direction given the difference in their age.

The No. 39 pick isn't early enough to grab one of the top receiver talents, but there's a tier that is likely to go in the second round that could prove to hold better options than some of those in the first round.

Rashee Rice is among those.

The 6'1", 204-pounder doesn't have blazing speed and isn't one of the marquee names in the class, but he is a physical receiver with a good catch radius and a penchant for coming down with contested catches.

The 23-year-old plays with an edge that shows up on film and would make life easier for the new quarterback.

Rice would be a good addition to the Panthers offense because he has the positional versatility to line up on the outside or in the slot. Terrace Marshall and D.J. Chark are nearly exclusively outside receivers while Thielen can operate from the slot.

The SMU product would be able to work in with any of them in a given formation.