3 NFL teams that should regret passing on CJ Stroud after record-setting performance

Through nine weeks, Houston Texans rookie C.J. Stroud looks like the real deal. Yet, he wasn't the first-overall pick, and these three teams should regret passing on him.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers v Houston Texans
Tampa Bay Buccaneers v Houston Texans / Bob Levey/GettyImages
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The Carolina Panthers could have drafted C.J. Stroud

The Panthers had a chance to draft C.J. Stroud after they traded up with the Chicago Bears. He would have fit Frank Reich's offense like a glove, and there were even some pre-draft rumblings that Reich preferred a more prototypical passer over Young, but Carolina inevitably went with the Alabama product.

Young did record the first win of his young career last week. He could very well pan out as a solid No. 1 selection and even the better player, so it's far too early to make a declaration that the Panthers made a mistake, per say. However, it's tough to ignore the results so far.

Undersized passers like Young often struggle to stay healthy, and have more passes batted down at the line of scrimmage. For the Panthers to ignore those warnings and select Young just shows how much they believe in his potential to become an All-Pro player. I'm not one to make any judgement just yet.