NFL Spin Zone
Fansided

5 NFL teams that can’t afford to have a bad 2023 NFL Draft

By Brendan Danaher

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - APRIL 25: A general view of a video board as the New York Giants pick is announced during the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft on April 25, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - APRIL 25: A general view of a video board as the New York Giants pick is announced during the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft on April 25, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
5 of 5
Next
2023 NFL Draft
2023 NFL Draft; Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper wears an Intercept Cancer shirt in recognition of breast cancer awareness month during the game against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /

Team #1 – Carolina Panthers

The Carolina Panthers have the first pick overall after trading a haul of draft picks and DJ Moore to the Chicago Bears. The Panthers have been building their team up over the past couple of seasons but they have been struggling to find their quarterback of the future.

The assumption is that the Panthers had a plan in place before mortgaging their future to secure the first pick overall from the Bears. There are a number of above-average quarterbacks available in this draft for the Panthers to choose from. The issue is there is a very good chance that they could choose wrong and doom their franchise for the next couple of seasons.

The Panthers even traded their best receiver, DJ Moore, to the Bears to assist in their quest for a franchise quarterback. This was a win for the Bears and simply another position of need that will have to be filled by the Panthers. They will have to find a dynamic receiver to complement their new quarterback while addressing other positions of need. The task is a tall one for general manager Scott Fitterer as the Panthers have only 6 draft picks to work with.

The Panthers have a chance to pick a quarterback that will launch them toward an NFC South Championship. The cautionary tale in this scenario should be the LA Rams and San Francisco 49ers. Both teams traded away an incredible amount of draft picks to move up in the draft to select quarterbacks (Jared Goff, LAR/Trey Lance SF). Goff is no longer on the Rams and the 49ers don’t believe Lance will be their starter in 2023. These moves cost them multiple first-round picks and missed opportunities to sign other prospects that could have been generational talents down the road.

Panthers owner David Tepper is a winner in the business world and he desperately wants to win in the sports world as well. All eyes will be on the Panthers when the draft kicks off in April in Kansas City.

Panthers 2023 NFL Draft Picks:

Round 1, Pick 1 (From CHI)
Round 2, Pick 39
Round 3, Pick 93 (From SF)
Round 4, Pick 114
Round 4, Pick 132 (From SF)
Round 5, Pick 145

Home/NFL Draft