Ranking every QB the Panthers could draft after trading up to No. 1 pick

Ranking the QB’s the Panthers can select with the No. 1 pick

2. C.J. Stroud, Ohio State

C.J. Stroud was considered to be one of the top prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft, and for good reason. His biggest strength was his ball placement and accuracy, as he made some unbelievable throws to the likes of Marvin Harrison Jr., Emeka Egbuka, and Julian Fleming.

While he did disappoint in games against Northwestern and Michigan, he silenced his critics with a grand performance against the Georgia Bulldogs in the Peach Bowl on New Year’s Eve, where he threw for 348 yards and four touchdowns while completing 23-of-34 pass attempts.

Stroud only increased his stock during his throwing session at the NFL Scouting Combine.

If the Panthers go with Stroud, it will be great pick. But, there’s one quarterback who we would rank ahead of him.

1. Bryce Young, Alabama

Of course, it’s Bryce Young leading this rankings list. The main knock on Young throughout this draft process is his size, as he officially measured at 5-foot-10 at the Scouting Combine. While teams may value a prototypical size for their quarterback, Young could eliminate that talking point with his play.

At Alabama, playing in the tough SEC, he stood poised in the pocket throughout his collegiate career. Not just that, but Young was able to make some huge throws in the most clutch moments of his two years as Crimson Tide starter.

Let’s not forget, he won the Heisman Trophy in 2021, the very year in which he threw for 4,872 yards, 47 touchdowns, and just seven interceptions while completing 66.9 percent of his passes.

Young has the skillset NFL teams want in a quarterback, and the Panthers should certainly consider him with the No. 1 overall pick.