The Carolina Panthers should be quite impressed with 2023 NFL draft prospect Anthony Richardson, especially after this past weekend. And how can anyone not be?
But what happened in Indianapolis on Saturday still may have not been enough for this organization, in particular.
In his combine wrap-up from Monday morning, Joe Person of The Athletic says that he feels the Panthers aren’t particularly “all in” on Richardson. Person writes:
My sense is the Panthers — like a lot of other teams — like Richardson’s raw talent, but not enough to draft him high. But if Richardson’s record-setting performance Saturday changed the way other teams view the 6-4, 244-pound athlete, it could bump one of the other guys down a spot.
The University of Florida standout had Lucas Oil Stadium, as he notched quarterback records in the broad (10 feet, nine inches) and vertical (40.5 inches) leaps. He also shined during the throwing portion of the workout, showing an improved touch on his passes and putting his majestic deep ball on display.
Regardless, the Panthers will likely have to make a move up the draft board if they want any of the “big four” quarterbacks—hence some talk about a trade with the Arizona Cardinals. Person adds:
Still, as Fitterer said, if you’re sold on one of the quarterbacks, you have to go up and get him, which means trading away a couple of future first-round picks. There was buzz in Indy the Panthers are interested in swapping spots with Arizona at 3, which would guarantee they’d get one of the top three QBs.
Other potential options outside of Richardson include Alabama’s Bryce Young, Ohio State’s CJ Stroud and Kentucky’s Will Levis.