Where Do the Panthers Rank Over the Next Three Years?

A lot of change occurred in Carolina this offseason, but for the good. The Panthers finally (we think) have an answer at the quarterback position with Bryce Young and have one of the top coaching staffs in the entire league.

Of course fans would like to see this team compete for an NFC South title in 2023 and it is possible considering how weak the division is. But what about the long-term picture for Carolina? What does that look like exactly?

According to ESPN, the Panthers are projected to be the 20th-best team over the course of the next three seasons.

Reason for hope: Optimism tends to come with a quarterback picked first overall in the draft, of course, but don't forget about Frank Reich and the all-star coaching staff he put together. The pre-draft concerns about QB Bryce Young from scouts and teams weren't about whether he would play well, just about how long he might be able to last at his size. In the short term (and this is an exercise about the next three years), there's every reason to be excited about Young turning this team into a contender. -- Graziano

Reason for concern: How will Young adapt his style of play to the NFL? I have consistently said that I love his competitiveness and ability to make the dramatic off-schedule play, but the NFL is not the SEC, and Young will not be able to live outside of structure the way he did at Alabama and expect to last a full season. He will need to win at a high level with a more structured and measured style of play. -- Riddick

Stat to know: The Panthers have a solid core of players on defense, including tackle Derrick Brown. He ranked second in run stop win rate (43%) as an interior defender last season, trailing only the Dolphins' Christian Wilkins. -- Walder

If you ask me, I think this is selling the Panthers short. If Young hits, this will be a top-half of the league team. There are teams ranked ahead of them with major question marks if we are projecting three years out. The Packers, for instance, may be headed for a major rebuild if Jordan Love is a bust. The Jets? Who knows how long Aaron Rodgers plays? The Patriots? Is Mac Jones their franchise QB? How long does Bill Belichick have left? And the Broncos...well, if you've been a follower of mine for a while, you know how I feel about them and their "future" with Russell Wilson.

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