Carolina Panthers Three-Round Mock Draft: Post Trade for Number one
The Carolina Panthers made headlines with a massive trade for the first overall pick. We project who they select with that pick and more.
After trading up to number one overall all eyes around the league are on the Carolina Panthers. The move begs the question of which quarterback do they like enough to make a move like this for?
We are still relatively early in the process as we’re still about six weeks away from the draft. So, it’s possible the Panthers aren’t set on exactly who they’re selecting yet, but clearly they are very high on at least one of the consensus top four quarterbacks in this class.
The other question this trade raises for the Carolina Panthers is what moves can they make over this offseason to improve the weapons around their next quarterback? With D.J. Moore being involved in the deal, they will need to look to the draft, free agency, or the trade market for receivers and tight ends.
In a weak NFC South they have a chance to be good next year if they play their cards right, so it’s a very exciting time for Carolina Panthers fans for next season and beyond.
So without further ado, let’s start with the top overall pick.
This mock draft is run through a PFF Mock Draft Simulator.
Round One 1st Overall: C.J. Stroud QB Ohio State
Post trade C.J. Stroud has emerged as the favorite to be the selection for the Panthers. Other options such as Bryce Young, Anthony Richardson, and Will Levis are still possible, but for now it looks most likely that Stroud is the pick.
Stroud does a lot of things well but his combination of mental ability and accuracy is what makes him worthy of the top overall pick. The anticipation on some of the throws he makes is quite remarkable, it’s like he knows exactly what every player on the field is thinking.
On top of that, his accuracy is just absurd, he consistently places his passes well. At times, it even looks like he walked up to the receiver and handed them the ball.
Stroud’s performance against Georgia really helped his draft stock. Not only did he have a great performance against a great defense, but he showed an ability to deal with pressure and make plays out of structure, which is something that is he is often criticized for.
The biggest question mark for Stroud is how well he’ll translate to the NFL without the elite talent he had surrounding him at Ohio State. This is why it’ll be essential for them to be aggressive in adding weapons to this offense for whoever is their selection here.
Round Two 39th Overall: Luke Musgrave TE Oregon State
As I’ve mentioned numerous times adding weapons to this offense will be paramount no matter who the selection is making tight end with their second round pick in a strong class enticing. In this scenario they pick up Oregon State’s Luke Musgrave.
Musgrave unfortunately missed most of this season with a knee injury however with his athleticism he can be a lethal weapon in the NFL if utilized correctly.
It’s apparent when watching him that he can be a mismatch athletically in the NFL with his size and speed. He cemented this at the combine as well as he checked in at 6-foot-5 7/8, 253 pounds with an impressive 4.61 40 yard dash.
Round Three 93rd Overall: Nathaniel “Tank” Dell WR Houston
With a lot of solid options available at receiver on day two of the draft, it’d make a lot of sense for them to use at least one of their two day two picks on one of them. In this scenario, they select Houston’s Tank Dell in the third round.
Dell was a massive part of Houston’s offense as he doubled the next closest player in targets, receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns in each of the last two seasons. He’s also amongst the most productive receivers in college football as he went for over 1300 yards in 2022 and 2021.
He did everything for that Houston offense. He could win vertically and track the ball on deep routes, he could win in the short and intermediate area with his route running, and he could create extra yards with how dynamic he was with the ball in his hands.
In an NFL offense he won’t have to play nearly as big of a role, but he’s someone who can develop into a solid slot receiver in the NFL with the big his selling point in the NFL being how dynamic he is with the ball in his hands.
