CHARLOTTE – Panthers general manager Scott Fitterer prioritized finding the balance between evaluating the No. 1 pick and the Panthers' five other selections in this year's NFL draft.
Of course, the weight of having your choice of any player (Carolina has made it clear it'll be a quarterback) isn't lost on Fitterer, assistant general manager Dan Morgan, college scouting director Cole Spencer or any member of the Panthers' deep brain trust that has been on the road at pro days, watching college film, or sitting in on dinners. There's a lot that goes into the evaluation of a No. 1.
"We spend more time sitting with them, trying to get to understand them," Fitterer said in Tuesday's pre-draft press conference. "Is this the person that can lead our franchise? Is he the one that really kind of validates why we went up to one? Is he the one that's going to make the difference?"
It's a lot to consider when meeting with multiple top prospects, making the evaluation process longer and more involved.
With nine days until draft night, Fitterer said they're still going through the process and that he hasn't yet asked head coach Frank Reich who his top choice would be. But he knows there has been "clarity" since the combine wrapped in early March.
Fitterer said decision-makers "felt strongly" about a group of players at the top of the draft, which is why they went aggressive in trading with Chicago to get this year's first overall pick. Carolina brought a populated contingent to pro days for the draft's consensus top four quarterbacks – Alabama's Bryce Young, Florida's Anthony Richardson, Kentucky's Will Levis, and Ohio State's C.J. Stroud – and hosted all four for top 30 visits after the combine.
They also dove back into past notes on all of them, adding to the thoroughness of the process.
"Obviously, it's a huge decision for the organization," Fitterer said. "The evaluation portion of it – a lot of that was done prior to this. We've gone back just to rewatch, refresh."
Whoever the Panthers pick, Fitterer said he knows to avoid placing immediate expectations on a rookie quarterback. Through coaching hires and in free agency, they've worked to put their young signal-caller in the position to succeed – so it comes down to making the right decision on what quarterback can make it happen.
"It's not like we're expecting this quarterback to come in and instantly just make everything happen (and) everything changes immediately," Fitterer said. "You've seen it with Jalen Hurts and Josh Allen; it takes time. And you have to surround him with the right people, and you have to surround him with the right coaching. But I think we've done that.
"And we're not going to force this quarterback on the field. We're not going to ask him to do anything that he can't do. We're going to ask them just to play their game, deliver the ball, make the right reads, and make the right decisions. For that reason, we have spent time doing that on that number one spot."
— Many of the questions Tuesday were asked from the context of Alabama quarterback Bryce Young, who is widely speculated to be the guy now.
And considering Fitterer was in Seattle when they drafted Russell Wilson, that connection has been made. But Fitterer said it would be a mistake to equate the number of passes batted down with height.
Former Panthers quarterback Baker Mayfield struggled with it last year (he's short of 6-foot-1), but Fitterer said neither the 5-11 Wilson nor the 5-10 Young did.
"I will say this, when Russell Wilson came out, I think he had three balls batted down his senior year; Bryce had two," Fitterer said. "So if you're talking just about Bryce, this doesn't seem to be an issue. When you grow up a shorter quarterback, you learn how to evolve your game, adapt, and see the field."
— In discussing the need to balance the amount of attention paid to the top pick to the other five, Fitterer was asked about other needs.
He first mentioned that teams "always need a pass rusher," but specifically added that they could add along the offensive line, at receiver, and linebacker.
Of course, checking a lot of boxes in free agency means they don't go into the draft with many glaring needs (other than quarterback, though a second starting outside linebacker is close).
The Panthers don't have an obvious answer at outside linebacker other than Brian Burns, but they can look at players including Marquis Haynes Sr., Yetur Gross-Matos, Amaré Barno, and others.
While the Panthers have their starting offensive line back, right guard Austin Corbett is coming off a torn ACL and might not be 100 percent by the regular season opener, so some short-term cover at guard could be helpful.
At receiver, they signed free agents Adam Thielen, DJ Chark, and Damiere Byrd, but Thielen is the only wideout on the roster under contract beyond the 2024 season, so some long-term options could be attractive there. (For a look at receiver and tight end options later in the draft, click here.)
— Everyone's looking for clues this time of year, but some things are just coincidences.
Fitterer was asked whether the timing of his press conference could shed any light on their decision, since quarterback visits were still ongoing.
In actuality, Levis and Stroud were scheduled to arrive today weeks ago. Tomorrow is the final day for teams to conduct 30 visits, and the Panthers have conducted all 30 of theirs.
Look back on some of the productive draft picks the Panthers made in the second and third rounds of the NFL Draft all the way back to 1995.
Wide receiver Terrace Marshall Jr. was picked in the second round (59th overall) of the 2021 NFL Draft out of LSU. Marshall played in 13 games in his rookie season, tallying 17 receptions for 138 yards.
Brady Christensen was selected in the third round (70th overall) of the 2021 NFL Draft out of BYU. He played in 16 games with six starts along the line in his rookie season in 2021.
Tommy Tremble was picked in the third round (83rd overall) out of Notre Dame in the 2021 NFL Draft. He played in 16 games with 11 starts, making 20 receptions for 180 yards and scoring two total touchdowns.
Jeremy Chinn was drafted in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He led the Panthers with 106 tackles in 2021, joining Jon Beason and Luke Kuechly as the only players with at least 100 tackles in each of their first two seasons in Carolina.
The Panthers used the 55th overall pick to select cornerback Donte Jackson in the second round of the 2018 draft. Since then, he's ranked second among his draft class with 12 interceptions in four seasons.
In 2017, Carolina drafted wide receiver Curtis Samuel in the second round with the 40th overall pick. From 2017-20, Samuel tallied 2,087 receiving yards, 478 rushing yards and 19 total touchdowns.
The Panthers drafted offensive lineman Taylor Moton 64th overall in the second round of the 2017 draft. Moton is one of five NFL players to play 100 percent of the offensive snaps in each of the last four seasons (2018-21).
Cornerback James Bradberry was drafted in the second round of the 2016 Draft. He made eight interceptions for the Panthers between 2016-19.
Carolina drafted wide receiver Devin Funchess in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft. From 2015-18, Funchess tallied 2,233 receiving yards which ranks eighth in franchise history.
Defensive end Kony Ealy was drafted in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft. In Super Bowl 50, Ealy tallied three sacks, an interception and a forced fumble.
Offensive lineman Trai Turner was selected with 92nd overall pick in the third round of the 2014 draft. Over the next six seasons, Turner made five consecutive Pro Bowl appearances from 2015-2019.
In 2013, the Panthers selected defensive tackle Kawann Short with the 44th overall pick in the second round. His 32.5 career sacks are the most by any Panthers defensive tackle in franchise history.
Carolina drafted safety Charles Godfrey with pick No. 67 in the third round of the 2008 draft. During his seven seasons in Carolina, Godfrey recorded a team-high 11 interceptions, including a career-high five picks in 2010.
The Panthers drafted center Ryan Kalil No. 59 overall in the second round of the 2007 draft. Kalil spent 12 seasons in Carolina earning five Pro Bowl appearances and two All-Pro nods.
In the third round of the 2007 draft, the Panthers selected defensive Charles Johnson with the 83rd overall pick. After 11 seasons in Carolina, Johnson finished second in franchise history with 67.5 career sacks, including team highs in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2014.
In 2006, the Panthers used the No. 58 overall pick to draft defensive back Richard Marshall in the second round. Marshall spent five years in Carolina, where he finished with a team-high 14 interceptions from 2006-2010.
The Panthers selected linebacker James Anderson with the 88th overall pick in the third round of the 2006 draft. Anderson proved to be a valuable addition to the linebacker corps, twice leading the team in tackles, including a career-high 145 stops in 2011.
The Panthers selected offensive lineman Travelle Wharton in the third round of the 2004 draft with the 94th overall pick. Wharton started 111 of the 115 games he played in over his nine seasons in Carolina, filling in at both guard and tackle.
The Panthers drafted Ricky Manning, Jr. No. 82 overall in the third round of the 2003 draft. Manning may not have been with the Panthers for long – just three seasons – but he'll always be remembered for his three-interception game in the NFC Championship in 2003.
In 2002, the Panthers used the 34th overall pick to draft running back DeShaun Foster in the second round. Foster led the Panthers in rushing yards each year from 2005-2007, and scored two of Carolina's most memorable post-season touchdowns in the 2003 NFC Championship and Super Bowl 38.
The Panthers selected linebacker Will Witherspoon with the No. 73 overall pick in the third round of the 2002 draft. Witherspoon was part of a dominant group of linebackers during his four years Carolina, finishing with a team-high 342 tackles in that stretch.
The Panthers drafted defensive tackle Kris Jenkins in the second round with the No. 44 overall pick in 2001. Jenkins earned three Pro Bowl and two All-Pro nods in Carolina, where he helped the Panthers establish one of the most fearsome defensive fronts in the NFL.
With the 74th overall pick in the third round of the 2001 draft, the Panthers selected wide receiver Steve Smith, and the rest is history. Smith finished his 16-year career with 14,731 receiving yards to rank eighth all-time in the NFL. During his 13 years in Carolina, Smith made five Pro Bowl appearances and earned All-Pro honors twice. He was selected to the Panthers Hall of Honor in 2019.
The Panthers drafted safety Deon Grant in the second round of the 2000 draft with the 57th overall pick. Grant only spent three years in Carolina, but during that stretch he started all 52 games the Panthers played, and led the team with 11 interceptions over that period.
In the 1999 draft, the Panthers used the No. 38 overall pick to select defensive end Mike Rucker in the second round. Rucker spent nine years in Carolina, where he finished his career third on the Panthers all-time sack list with 55.5 sacks.
In 1997, the Panthers drafted safety Mike Minter in the second round with the 56th overall pick. Minter spent 10 seasons leading Carolina from the secondary, where he totaled 594 tackles in that stretch and ranks fourth all-time in franchise history in interceptions.
The Panthers selected wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad with the 43rd overall pick in the second round of the 1996 draft. Muhammad spent 11 years in Carolina over two separate stints, and still ranks second in franchise history in receiving yards (9,255) and touchdowns (50).
