NFL Draft rumors: ‘A lot of buzz’ Panthers will pick Anthony Richardson at No. 1

The panthers did it The Trade the 2023 NFL draft, which will see a slew of draft funds — not to mention receiver DJ Moore — handed out to the Bears in exchange for the best overall pick.

The franchise will no doubt use that pick to draft a quarterback as it moves forward after a disastrous season that saw Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold and PJ Walker all start at least six games in a 7-10 season. The question now is, which quarterback will Carolina pick?

The consensus for some time has been that one of Alabama’s Bryce Young or Ohio State’s CJ Stroud will claim the top spot. But the conclusion of the NFL combine has also seen project quarterbacks Will Levis and Anthony Richardson rocket up the draft boards.

ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay shed some light on the Panthers’ thoughts on Saturday when he dropped his post-trade mock draft. While he still taunts Young at No. 1 overall, it’s another quarterback he’s heard “a lot of fuss” about.

MORE: Panthers draft options: Breakdown of the #1 best-fit picks, from Bryce Young to CJ Stroud to Anthony Richardson

Here are some of the latest rumors about what the Panthers will do with their top overall pick:

2023 Panther Draft Rumors

Saturday March 11th

According to McShay’s latest mock draft (ESPN+ subscription required), Young is still predicted to be the top prospect. But McShay claimed he heard significant rumors about Carolina Richardson taking No. 1 overall:

For what it’s worth, McShay currently taunts Richardson as the Colts’ fourth. If he hears anything more substantial about the Panthers’ plans, it could affect his mock draft — right now he’s got Richardson off the board as the third signal caller, behind Young at No. 1 and Stroud at No. 2 for the Texans.

MORE: 2023 NFL draft odds: How Anthony Richardson’s standout combination boosted chances of jumping Bryce Young, CJ Stroud for No. 1

Richardson’s rise on the draft boards follows what many consider to be one of the best performances of any quarterback at the 2023 NFL Combine. He ran a 4.43 in the 40-yard dash, turned in a 10-9 long jump and NFL-record 40.5-inch vertical for quarterbacks. He then used the transient portion of practice to showcase his big arm, leading many to believe his top-notch physical attributes are overcoming a development he needs as a quarterback.

McShay isn’t the only ESPN reporter who thinks the Panthers could use the top overall pick to take on Richardson. Jeremy Fowler appeared on Saturday morning’s SportsCenter segment reporting that the Panthers could use their pick for any of the quarterbacks. He mentioned Richardson as a “wild card” among those potential picks.

MORE: NFL Mock Draft 2023: Panthers jump Texans, Colts for CJ Stroud; Bears upgrade offensive line for Justin Fields

Friday March 10th

Ahead of McShay and Fowler’s Saturday report, ESPN’s Matt Miller reported that Stroud is the name most commonly associated with Carolina before, during and after the NFL combine:

Wednesday March 1st

Before the combine — and the Panthers’ trade-up — Miller believed Richardson was the quarterback Carolina would pick:

“They definitely feel like they’re all backing Anthony Richardson. The athletics are there. The arm strength is there. And you hear this offensive team, led by Frank Reich, thinks they can develop a quarterback with guys like Jim Caldwell, Thomas Brown, who they bring in from the LA Rams. So you’re going to be doing a lot of vertical things on the field. I think it’s a good situation for Richardson.

“A top 10 selection we all expect. You can bring back Sam Darnold who can really hold the door for a year and have someone like Richardson develop. I think you put him on the field right away, look at some packages for him. Similar to what we saw in Florida in 2021, but then prime him to be that starter in 2024. I think this is an ideal situation for him.