The Carolina Panthers Are On the Clock: Anthony Richardson or Will Levis?

Who should Carolina take in this scenario?

Leading up to the draft, we'll pose several scenarios for the what the Carolina Panthers should do when they are on the clock in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft. 

In the first installment of this series, we'll dissect what the Panthers should do if C.J. Stroud and Bryce Young are off the board. This leaves Anthony Richardson and Will Levis as the top two quarterbacks. Here's my analysis of each and who I would take if I were GM Scott Fitterer.

Anthony Richardson

Definition of a boom or bust. He is the unicorn of this draft class because of his unique combination of arm strength and dynamic running abilities. It's the kind of stuff you only see on video games. If he lives up his potential, he's going to be the best quarterback to come out of this class.

Richardson has good pocket awareness and throws from a strong base. Puts really good zip on the ball, making all the tough throws look rather easy. C.J. Stroud, in my opinion, has the best arm in the draft, but Richardson is a close second. This kid can really rip it. The only downside is he can be a bit erratic with his intermediate and downfield throws. It's not because he puts the ball in harms way, though. He just gets a little too loose with his mechanics at times and it results in a poorly thrown ball. 

He's without question the best running quarterback in the draft, perhaps the best since Lamar Jackson came out. If he gets into the open field, there's a very low chance that he's getting brought down to the ground. Very elusive, yet powerful runner that reminds you A LOT of Cam Newton. But faster. 

Will Levis

Not a lot of wasted movement in his throwing action. The ball shoots out of his hand and gets on the receiver in a hurry. Has a tendency of staring down his first or second read and not go through his full progressions. Not only does he get set on his primary read but he forces several throws even if he's unsure if it's the right decision or not. If he can move his eyes more, he'll find more completions. Has to find his checkdowns with more regularity. 

Physical runner that doesn't shy away from contact. He'll gain yards after contact thanks to his tremendous lower body strength. However, he does need to do a better job of protecting himself or he's going to take a beating on some of these runs. He can become a challenging QB to defend in a RPO-heavy offense.

I know he is often compared to Josh Allen, but for me, he's a more of a better throwing Taysom Hill. I don't know if that's quite enough to warrant a first round pick, let alone a top-10 selection.

The pick: Anthony Richardson

I don't mind taking Richardson at nine even though I would have him on my draft board as a late first round pick. QB needy teams aren't going to wait that long to select him. You have to be willing to take shots on QBs earlier than what you're board says sometimes and this is one of those situations. Because of his high ceiling, it's worth rolling the dice. He's not going to be your starter from day one, but can certainly be the future of the franchise if he develops consistency. Levis will be 24 in June, while Richardson will turn 22 in May. I'm taking the younger, higher upside QB in this scenario.

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