Tag: 2023 combine

Panthers trade up for combine king Anthony Richardson in latest Draft Wire mock

In his latest three-round mock, Draft Wire’s Luke Easterling has the Panthers trading up for 2023 combine king Anthony Richardson.

Despite an eye-opening, jaw-dropping, record-breaking performance at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine, quarterback Anthony Richardson still may not be the Carolina Panthers’ cup of tea. According to a few team beat reporters—The Athletic’s Joe Person and FOX Charlotte’s Will Kunkel, to be precise—the braintrust doesn’t seem to be too high on the University of Florida star.

But our own Luke Easterling is!

In his latest three-round set of projections, the Draft Wire editor has the Panthers trading up to the third overall spot to select Richardson. Easterling writes:

Carolina made the mistake of passing on Justin Fields two years ago, and it won’t happen again. Instead, they deal next year’s first-rounder and one of this year’s second-round picks (perhaps even more) to move up and land the quarterback prospect with the highest ceiling in Richardson.

The 6-foot-4, 244-pounder gave us a sneak peek of that ceiling with his athletic testing in Indianapolis. He finished—per MockDraftable.com—in the 98th percentile amongst all quarterbacks ever recorded in the 40-yard dash (4.43 seconds), the 96th percentile in 10-yard split (1.53 seconds) and set new records at the position for the broad (129 inches) and vertical (40.5 inches) jumps.

He also put that bazooka that’s attached to his right shoulder on display during on-field drills. Save for a few errant mid-range throws, Richardson showed he has more than enough arm strength to warrant the comparisons he’s gotten to Cam Newton, Josh Allen and Daunte Culpepper.

So, was all of that really not enough for the Panthers? Well, we’ll just have to wait and see after all the smoke settles.

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Panthers 2023 mock draft 4.0: Post-combine edition

With the 2023 Underwear Olympics officially over, here is our latest mock draft for the Carolina Panthers.

Now that the Underwear Olympics are all wrapped up, it’s time for another Carolina Panthers mock draft.

Here are our latest projections following the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine.

NFL reporter: Panthers were most aggressive team at combine

NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe: “I’ve never heard a team in the combine more aggressive than Carolina.”

It’s evident, especially after the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine, that the Carolina Panthers won’t get one of the draft’s top quarterbacks if they stand pat. And that’s exactly why they were probably the most proactive team in Indianapolis this past week.

On Tuesday’s edition of Good Morning Football, national NFL reporter Cameron Wolfe doubled down on his recent sentiment about Carolina—one that suggests they’ll be aggressive in trying to trade up and land themselves a franchise passer. In fact, he said he’s never heard of a team being so gung-ho at this particular time in the offseason.

“They’re all in on the draft,” Wolfe said. “They had a conversation with Derek Carr, but they were never fully in there. They’ve always been a team and a top candidate to trade up in the top five to get their quarterback.”

Carr, who met with Carolina last Tuesday night, signed with the New Orleans Saints on Monday. But that news, as Wolfe states, probably didn’t break the hearts of the Panthers and general manager Scott Fitterer—who has been clear about his preference of drafting and developing “their guy.”

Wolfe continued:

“[Chicago Bears general manager] Ryan Poles has made it clear that the No. 1 pick is up for auction. He’s probably gonna take that type of haul, if not more, for Carolina to get up in there. And this team—I’ve never heard a team in the combine more aggressive than Carolina. So I’d imagine you’ll hear their name a lot between now and the draft time as far as moving up for a quarterback.”

Poles and the Bears actually may have a market for that pick already—as NFL Network’s Rich Eisen reported yesterday that “teams have been identified” and “compensation is being hammered out” for the selection. There should be little to no doubt that one of those teams is the Panthers.

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Panthers reportedly expected to be aggressive in trading up for QB

ESPN’s Dan Graziano said he’s spoken to many people at the combine who believe the Panthers will be aggressive in their efforts to trade up for a QB.

Saturday’s events at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine probably made it easier for the Carolina Panthers to fall in love with a quarterback prospect. But they didn’t make it easier for them to actually get one.

If owner David Tepper, general manager Scott Fitterer and head coach Frank Reich want “their guy,” then they’ll likely have to trade up for him. Staying put at the draft’s ninth overall pick, with a handful of quarterback-needy teams ahead of them, may not help land any of the class’ “big four” passers.

That’s why the latest report from ESPN’s Dan Graziano makes a ton of sense. Graziano notes that he’s spoken to plenty of folks at the combine who believe the Panthers are going to make a hard run up the order.

He writes:

If you’re looking for a team in the top 10 of the draft that could trade up to take a quarterback, keep an eye on the Panthers. They pick at No. 9, right behind the Atlanta Falcons and Raiders, both of whom could be thinking QB there. And many people I spoke with in Indy expect the Panthers to be aggressive in their efforts to move up and secure their franchise QB.

Their efforts could be pointed towards Alabama’s Bryce Young, Ohio State’s CJ Stroud, Florida’s Anthony Richardson and/or Kentucky’s Will Levis. With the exception of Young—who elected to sit out of Saturday’s activities—each player turned heads and opened eyes on the field at Lucas Oil Stadium.

So it may soon be time for the Panthers to open up talks to get into striking distance for one of these talented youngsters.

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Best photos of 2023 combine’s ‘Big 4’ QBs from Saturday

Photo gallery: Saturday’s best of Will Levis, Anthony Richardson, CJ Stroud and Bryce Young from the 2023 combine.

On Saturday, the 2023 NFL draft’s quarterbacks took the field at the combine in Indianapolis. And if they’re aggressive enough, the Carolina Panthers will end up with one of the four prospects you’re about to see.

Here are the best photos of Will Levis, Anthony Richardson, CJ Stroud, and even a little of Bryce Young from Lucas Oil Stadium.

2023 NFL combine QB results: CJ Stroud

2023 NFL Scouting Combine results: QB CJ Stroud

Somehow, quarterback CJ Stroud has gotten a bit overlooked with the increasing hype around his peers—specifically Bryce Young and Anthony Richardson. But the Ohio State University star is still one of the best players of the 2023 NFL draft, something he showed on Saturday.

Here are Stroud’s results from the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine.

2023 NFL combine QB results: Bryce Young

2023 NFL Scouting Combine results: QB Bryce Young

The 2023 draft’s consensus No. 1 quarterback Bryce Young didn’t really have to hit the field at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine. So, he didn’t.

With just about zero questions surrounding his ability to throw and athleticism, the former Heisman Trophy winner sat out on Saturday. Nonetheless, here are the results from what really mattered to many—and perhaps the Carolina Panthers—when it comes to Young.

Anthony Richardson sets QB records for vertical, broad jumps at combine

2023 NFL draft prospect Anthony Richardson jumped for a pair of QB records at the combine on Saturday.

On Friday, 2023 NFL draft prospect Anthony Richardson said he believes he is a better thrower than Carolina Panthers great and personal idol Cam Newton. That may or may not actually be true, but it appears as though he’s a better jumper.

The University of Florida standout nearly jumped out of Lucas Oil Stadium this afternoon, registering a broad jump of 10 feet and nine inches and a vertical jump of 40.5 inches. Both are new combine records for a quarterback.

Those leaps are even more impressive considering how big the 21-year-old is. Richardson, per the event’s official measurements, stands at 6-foot-4 and 244 pounds.

Newton, by comparison, was listed at 6-foot-5 and 248 pounds at the 2011 combine. He jumped for a 10-foot, six-inch broad and 35-inch vertical—which currently rank, per Mockdraftable.com, in the 97th and 86th percentile, respectively.

Richardson, an athletic marvel, was expected to put on a show in Indianapolis. But at this rate, he might be the entire show—and the Panthers are certainly watching.

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