CHARLOTTE - Speculation around the Panthers choices at the ninth pick continue to churn as the calendar hits February and Carolina officially announced its new head coach in offensive-minded Frank Reich.
NFL Media's Daniel Jeremiah mocked QB C.J. Stroud to the Panthers, while his colleague Bucky Brooks had QB Will Levis.
View the rest of the latest mock drafts below:
Daniel Jeremiah: Stroud is big, strong and accurate. He flashed some creativity and playmaking against Georgia, and that was a pleasant surprise for evaluators.
Mel Kiper Jr.: He needs time to develop. He's not an NFL-ready thrower. But he is an awesome talent, a raw quarterback in a 6-foot-4 frame who would be one of the league's most electrifying runners as soon as he steps on the field. His size and physical tools cannot be taught, and NFL coaches will want to work with him and try to take him to the next level.
Ryan Wilson: Anthony Richardson is one of the most exciting prospects in this class. The problem: he's short on experience, and while his physical tools are rare, the Panthers are in dire need of a starting QB right now. David Tepper could choose to go the free agency route (again), but that has been, shall we say, a crapshoot. At the end of the day, Carolina may have to move inside the top five if it's a quarterback it really wants with Day 1 starter potential.
Michael Renner: Beggars can’t be choosers with three quarterbacks off the board already. The Panthers are certainly going to be the beneficiaries of a deep quarterback class. Richardson offers the kind of tools that can go No. 1 overall, but he will likely fall to this point because he lacks the polish and experience you see from most first-rounders. He earned an 80.1 overall grade in his first season as a starter.
Nick Baumgardner: Jordan Addison certainly helped make Caleb Williams’ debut season at USC a special one, although Williams propped up Addison last season more than the other way around. There are question marks with all the receivers toward the top of the list, including Addison, who has to continue developing general play strength.
Joe Marino: In Frank Reich, the Carolina Panthers hired the first offensive-minded head coach in franchise history. And after years of choosing to not participate in drafting a first-round quarterback despite having chances to do it, Carolina could go all-in to get their guy. There are plenty of rumblings that guy is Will Levis, who has all the physical makeup and intangibles to be a franchise quarterback. A coach like Reich could unlock his potential and set the course for the future.
