Matt Alquiza's Carolina Panthers 2023 7-Round Mock Draft

A full projection of Panthers picks (with a trade).

Round 1, Pick 1: QB Bryce Young (Alabama)

The lay-up of all lay-ups. In two days, Carolina will draft Bryce Young hoping that the Alabama signal-caller will become the face of the franchise. Young is small in stature, but everything else about him screams franchise quarterback. Accurate to all levels, makes plays inside and outside of the pocket, has decent arm strength, elite processor, he can really do it all. Carolina is gambling on an outlier when it comes to size, but Young is worth the bet.

Round 2, Pick 39: Trade! Carolina trades pick 39 to Tampa Bay for picks 50, 82, and 179 in the 2023 Draft and a 5th-rounder in 2024.

Scott Fitterer has shown a propensity to be active on draft night, and I'm predicting that he will move down from 39 to accrue some more draft capital. 

Round 2, Pick 50: EDGE Felix Anudike-Uzomah (Kansas State)

Anudike-Uzomah is a bit raw, but his potential is through the roof. He was named a third-team All-American in 2022 when he posted an 8.5 sack season for a top-ten Kansas State team. He has a nice array of pass-rush moves and is only 21 years old. Carolina would draft Anudike-Uzomah hoping that he can develop into a perfect complement to Brian Burns on the other side of the formation.

Round 3, Pick 82: WR Jonathan Mingo (Ole Miss)

Mingo never produced high-end numbers in college, but he is a player worth betting on based on his traits. Mingo has NFL size and is an elite athlete. He parlays his elite athleticism with smooth movements and on tape he just looks like a good football player. 

Carolina threw significant resources at skill position players this offseason (Miles Sanders, Adam Thielen, DJ Chark, Hayden Hurst), but you can never have too many weapons for a young quarterback. If (read: when) Carolina picks Bryce Young at number one overall, giving him a big-bodied guy like Mingo to grow alongside will be great for his development.

Round 3, Pick 93: Linebacker Daiyan Henley (Washington State)

Linebacker isn't a premier position in the NFL, but the Panthers have a gaping hole in the middle of their defense. Henley is the perfect developmental pick to learn underneath a veteran like Shaq Thompson. 

Henley is an older prospect who spent six years in school and has shown the ability to be a big hitter while also being athletic enough to cover backs and tight ends in the passing game. 

Round 4, Pick 114: Safety Ji'Ayir Brown (Penn State)

Like Henley, Brown is a hard-hitter who fills a need on defense. If Carolina plays Jeremy Chinn in the box (which it seems like they will), Brown can fill in on the back end and be a playmaker alongside Xavier Woods. Brown had four interceptions and a handful of pass breakups in his senior year, and he has shown the ability to cover both big tight ends and receivers in the slot.

Round 4, Pick 132: Cornerback Eli Ricks (Alabama)

Ricks is another player who fills a need on defense. He's shown flashes of good coverage ability, but he's more of a projection at this point. Carolina's cornerback room is thin, and some more depth at the position behind Jaycee Horn is definitely a need.

Round 5, Pick 145: Wide Receiver Kayshon Boutte (LSU)

In the mock draft simulator I'm using Boutte slipped to the fifth round and he's an auto-pick for me here. Boutte came into the 2022 season projected as a first-round pick, but some off-the-field issues, injuries, and poor production have tanked his draft stock. At this point in the draft, I'm throwing darts at guys who could outperform their draft position and Boutte is a gamble I'm willing to make.

Round 5, Pick 179: Interior Offensive Line Emil Ekiyor Jr. (Alabama)

Ekiyor is a big boy who can move. He ranked as the 3rd most athletic guard at the 2023 NFL Combine and again, like most of the guys I've picked, he has traits worth gambling on. Ekiyor is a three-year starter at Alabama who obviously has a good rapport with Bryce Young, and more offensive line depth is needed. Carolina's offensive line was unreasonably healthy in 2022 (until week 17), and odds are that won't happen again.