C.J. Stroud goes No. 1 overall to start full Carolina Panthers mock draft

By Greg Auman
Published

We're now exactly one month from the start of this year's NFL Draft, and with nearly two weeks of free agency in the books, teams have addressed positional needs clearly enough that you can project a full seven-round mock draft for a team and what might be ahead.

We'll start the same way the draft will, with the Carolina Panthers, who traded up from No. 9 in a huge deal with the Bears to take control of the draft and their preference among this year's elite quarterback prospects. Even having traded up to No. 1, the Panthers have six picks in the first five rounds, with no selections in the final two rounds due to previous trades.

Carolina has been active in free agency — the deal for the top pick cost the Panthers receiver DJ Moore, but they've added Adam Thielen and DJ Chark there, as well as Pro Bowl running back Miles Sanders from the Eagles and tight end Hayden Hurst from the Bengals. They've been busy on defense as well, getting safety Vonn Bell from Cincinnati and defensive tackle Shy Tuttle from New Orleans, among others.

That top pick will be a quarterback, though Andy Dalton's arrival gives them a stopgap starter just in case they don't think the rookie is ready in Week 1. There are still positional needs to solidify depth on both sides of the ball, and the most obvious positions are edge pass rusher, defensive tackle, running back and cornerback. With only six draft picks, this is still a team that could have an undrafted rookie or two make the 53 if they can beat out the existing depth at a few positions. 

On to the picks ...

First round, No. 1 overall: QB C.J. Stroud, Ohio State

This will be debated for the next month, and Carolina has been doing its due diligence and then some, with a dozen or so coaches and scouts in attendance at last week's pro days for Stroud, Alabama's Bryce Young and Kentucky's Will Levis. The Panthers will likely have a similar presence in Gainesville on Thursday for Florida's Anthony Richardson and his pro day.

Stroud would be the smart bet right now, with two full seasons as a starter with the Buckeyes, playing under the full national spotlight and handling that well. He's had absolute elite talent at receiver to throw to: Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave in 2021, both first-round picks a year ago, and two more first-round talents in Jaxon Smith-Njigba this year and Marvin Harrison Jr. in 2024.

Young could also be a possibility, and Frank Reich has made it clear his past history with mostly taller quarterbacks wouldn't keep him from having confidence he could develop the 5-foot-10 Young as an NFL passer. Levis and Richardson have upside but are less likely to be the top picks with less success and fewer games as starters.

Carolina has a better supporting cast in place around a rookie than most recent No. 1 picks can boast. The Jaguars went 3-14 with Trevor Lawrence in 2021, the Bengals went 4-11-1 with 10 games of Joe Burrow in 2020 and the Cardinals went 5-10-1 with Kyler Murray in 2019. If it's Stroud, he'll have real expectations of a winning record as a rookie, something that hasn't happened for a No. 1 overall pick since Andrew Luck went 11-5 with the Colts in 2012.

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The Panthers sent a large contingent to Ohio State Pro Day, where C.J. Stroud had an impressive performance. Craig Carton and Josh Norman decide whether this is any indication that Stroud will go No. 1 overall.

Second round, No. 39 overall: OLB Isaiah Foskey, Notre Dame

Brian Burns is a stud and in line for a long-term extension, but Yetur Gross-Matos has yet to have even four sacks in a season, so the Panthers could use some help on the opposite side. Foskey is 6-foot-5 and 264 pounds and still ran a 4.58 at the combine. He finished with 11 sacks last year and was a finalist for the Ted Hendricks Award. The Panthers were smart to only give up the second-round pick they got from the 49ers for Christian McCaffrey (61st overall) and keep this pick to help them find another impact starter from this draft.

Third round, No. 93 overall: DT Siaki Ika, Baylor

The Panthers added Tuttle in free agency and didn't re-sign Matt Ioannidis, but they could upgrade their depth around Derrick Brown on the defensive interior. Ika has considerable size at 335 pounds, so he can spell Brown on the inside or even line up next to him in some run-stop looks. Ika started his career at LSU but flourished in the last two years at Baylor, following Dave Aranda there.

Fourth round, No. 112 overall: RB Chase Brown, Illinois

Carolina added Sanders in free agency and let D'Onta Foreman go to the Bears, and the team has gotten good production out of 2021 fourth-round pick Chuba Hubbard. Brown went off for 1,643 yards and 10 touchdowns for Illinois last year, adding some pass-catching ability with 27 receptions and three more touchdowns. Offensive balance will help keep pressure off a rookie quarterback, and a deep group of running backs will help with that.

Fourth round, No. 132 overall: OL Warren McClendon, Georgia

McClendon was a three-year starter for the Bulldogs, helping them to a pair of national titles, and Carolina doesn't have much in the way of tackle depth with Cam Erving unsigned as a free agent. The Panthers are in better shape at guard after signing Justin McCray, but McClendon should have the year to learn, get stronger and find out where his NFL future is.

Fifth round, No. 145 overall: CB Jaylon Jones, Texas A&M

You could make a good case for inside linebacker with one of these third-day picks, with Shaq Thompson taking a pay cut to return for another year but no longer a long-term answer. Corner depth is also crucial, as is size in a division with some tall receivers. Jones is 6-foot-2 with three years of starting experience in the SEC, and this can be a development and special-teams year for him.

Greg Auman is FOX Sports’ NFC South reporter, covering the Buccaneers, Falcons, Panthers and Saints. He is in his 10th season covering the Bucs and the NFL full-time, having spent time at the Tampa Bay Times and The Athletic. You can follow him on Twitter at @gregauman.  

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