Carolina Panthers Mock Draft Roundup 6.0

Frank Reich pleads for a young, advanced passer from this draft and gets it with Stroud, who fits the pocket-passing mold his coach likes.

If three QBs do fly off the board in the first four picks, the Panthers might get jumpy and move up the board to make sure Levis doesn't also escape them. They get lucky here, though. Levis has, in his words, a "cannon" for an arm and can run over defenders when he takes off as a rusher, thanks to a 6-4, 229-pound frame. He battled injuries last season at Kentucky, but teams will wonder if they can fix his mechanics and ball placement, which contributed to 23 interceptions over the past two years. He has so much ball velocity, but he has to get better at knowing when to take something off.

Levis had a lot of experience with pro-style concepts in college, and he could start right out of the gate and connect with DJ Moore on big plays. But I also think the Panthers might want to bring back Sam Darnold or sign another startable QB to ease Levis into action.

In the initial version of this mock, after the top four quarterbacks flew off the board within the first eight picks, Carolina opted for Clemson edge Myles Murphy. But in light of what I discussed at the top of this file and in the Falcons blurb just above, the Panthers have a signal-caller fall right into their lap. The only question: Do they value the toolsy Kentucky gunslinger as a true "face of the franchise" type?

As expected, Richardson created a buzz with his on-field combine work. The interview portion was more of a mixed bag, but his natural talent will be too enticing. The word from other teams is that Panthers owner David Tepper is on a mission to invest in a young, exciting quarterback who gives the franchise a long-term direction. A Carolina quarterback room of Jacoby Brissett and Anthony Richardson is a plausible scenario for 2023.

In this scenario, new coach Frank Reich and Co. miss out on a young quarterback in Round 1 ... so pressure could be on to do a deal given Derek Carr is also vacating the veteran market. If the Panthers do obtain a veteran quarterback, they might be a team that trades out of the top 10 given they're well stocked at most premium positions. But if they stick and pick, highly regarded Skoronski would bolster the protection of his next quarterback — presumably as a guard here as long as Ickey Ekwonu and Taylor Moton are manning the tackles spots.

The Panthers land their quarterback of the future to build around for years to come. Will Levis could flourish as he finally has talented players around him. The Panthers move up three spots and give up No. 39 and get back Detroit's third-round pick at No. 81.

With the Seattle Seahawks agreeing to a three-year, $102 million contract extension with quarterback Geno Smith, the organization now holds leverage with this selection.

Bleacher Report's top-ranked quarterback remains on the board, and multiple QB-needy teams should be desperate to trade up for Ohio State's C.J. Stroud. The Carolina Panthers are clearly the most desperate after missing out on opportunity after opportunity to truly upgrade the game's most important position, then settling on half-measures to address it.

The chance to jump in front of the Las Vegas Raiders and Atlanta Falcons to get Stroud is a strong play by general manager Scott Fitterer. With the team's quarterback now set, the Panthers complete their roster to build toward becoming a long-term contender.

"Stroud plays with A-level arm strength and excellent ball placement to every level of the field," Klassen said. "There's a rhythm to his game that the rest of this year's QB class just doesn't have.

"Additionally, Stroud stepped up towards the end of his junior season and proved himself as someone capable of making spectacular plays outside the pocket—the biggest criticism of his game throughout most of his career. HIs performance against Georgia might have been the best individual effort by any prospect this past season.

"Whether Stroud gets to sit or start right away, expect competent quarterback play and a mid-sized fireworks show if things break in the Panthers' favor."

New Panthers head coach and offensive shit-caller Frank Reich needs his version of a franchise quarterback, and it's already been established that Reich has a type, as he worked with Carson Wentz in Philadelphia, and tried to make it work with Wentz in Indianapolis. Levis is quite a bit like Wentz in that the good moments are the kinds you'd love to bank on, and the bad moments have you pulling your hair out, wondering what the heck just happened. As Reich seems to find such traits appealing, perhaps this is a match made in…, well, at least purgatory.

If the Panthers don't sign a quarterback in free agency — Derek Carr? — they might use a first-round pick on one for the first time since Cam Newton in 2011.

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