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QB Options in the 2023 Draft for the Carolina Panthers

A few names the Panthers could draft next spring.

The Panthers are in a tough spot when it comes to the quarterback position. It's become very clear that they do not trust Sam Darnold as the future of the franchise after pursuing Deshaun Watson and continuing to have trade talks with Cleveland about Baker Mayfield.

Not to mention, they traded up into the third round to select Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral. The expectation is that it's going to take Corral some time before he's ready for game action. He comes from an RPO-heavy offensive system that didn't feature a ton of downfield reads of progressions.

When you take a quarterback in the middle of the draft, there's not much risk involved. If he works out, great. If not, they can take another swing at the plate the following year. 

The only problem is the Panthers aren't going to be bad enough to get one of the top two quarterbacks in next year's draft - C.J. Stroud (Ohio State) and Bryce Young (Alabama). That said, there are three other quarterbacks that have the potential to go in the first round. 

Will Levis - Kentucky 

Levis is becoming the darling of the 2023 draft class despite the big names of Young and Stroud. Executives around the league are falling in love with him early on in the draft process and will continue to do so as he puts more work on the field during his final year at Kentucky. 

He's a very accurate quarterback with a big arm but didn't get to unleash it as much as he would probably like averaging 7.7 yards per attempt. NFL teams are going to want to see him take more shots downfield and dial back on the interceptions (13) a little bit.

Again, this might be a case of the Panthers not being bad enough to get him as he will likely go in the top five or so picks. 

Anthony Richarson - Florida

The first time I saw Anthony Richardson was in a 42-20 blowout of South Florida. He didn't play much, but it seemed like every time he took a snap something big happened. He was 3/3 for 152 yards passing and two touchdowns and also ran for 115 yards and one score on four carries. 

He's got to develop more as a passer, but the talent is real. At 6'4", 236 ish pounds, he really reminds me of Cam Newton. Obviously, he has more work to do to officially earn that comparison but the tools are there.

Tanner McKee - Stanford

McKee is projected to be a mid-late first round pick as of now, but some believe he could climb all the way into the top ten. When you come from a pro-style offense as the one Stanford runs, you're going to be more equipped to handle the transition to the NFL. He has a smooth five-step drop, makes checks at the line of scrimmage, and handles a lot more than most college quarterbacks do.

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