Panthers Stay at No. 9 to Take QB in Latest ESPN Mock Draft

Is this the right decision for the Panthers?

It's no secret that the Carolina Panthers are heavily interested in taking a quarterback in the 2023 NFL Draft. The question is, do they stay put at No. 9 or move up?

In Todd McShay's latest mock draft on ESPN, he has the Panthers sticking at nine and taking Kentucky QB Will Levis.

McShay's analysis on the projected pick

"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."

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