As a lead-up to the 2023 NFL draft, we've broken down the current depth chart of every NFL team and identified the biggest draft and team needs for the Carolina Panthers.
You can find additional team-by-team draft needs articles and other draft content on our 2023 NFL Draft hub.
Who did the Panthers pick in the NFL Draft?
The Carolina Panthers selected Bryce Young (QB, Alabama) with the 1st pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
The Panthers added Jonathan Mingo (WR, Ole Miss) with the 39th overall pick.
Carolina selected DJ Johnson (EDGE, Oregon) with the 80th pick.
Panthers Draft Needs: Top Positions of Need in 2023
- Quarterback
- Wide Receiver
- EDGE
What Picks do the Carolina Panthers have in 2023?
The Carolina Panthers have six picks in the 2023 NFL Draft, including:
- Round 1 (1)
- Round 2 (39)
- Round 3 (93)
- Round 4 (114)
- Round 4 (132)
- Round 5 (145)
Carolina Panthers Draft Capital Stats
Our Sharp Draft Value Rank is a valuation of draft capital based on a combination of average performance delivered and average dollars earned on second contracts.
This is based on two public models: performance delivered based on draft slot (the AV model created by Chase Stuart) and contractual earnings in non-rookie deals based upon draft slot (the OTC model created by Brad Spielberger and Jason Fitzgerald).
- Panthers Sharp Draft Value Rank: 7 of 32 teams
- Panthers AV Model Draft Value Rank: 4 of 32 teams
- Panthers OTC Model Draft Value Rank: 9 of 32 teams
Carolina Panthers Draft Value vs Other Teams:
The Panthers' draft value is 28% higher than the league average of all 32 teams. Six other teams have higher draft value entering the 2023 NFL Draft.
Carolina Panthers Draft Prediction:
The Panthers are predicted to draft Bryce Young (QB, Alabama) with their 1st round pick (#1 overall) according to the most recent mock draft from Ryan McCrystal.
Another mock draft expert, Brendan Donahue, also has the Panthers predicted to draft Bryce Young (QB, Alabama) with their 1st round pick according to his most recent mock draft.
Carolina Panthers Strength of Schedule, 2023
The Carolina Panthers have the third easiest NFL strength of schedule for the 2023 NFL season.
Carolina Panthers Offense: Depth Chart, Analysis & Draft Needs
Adam Wilde breaks down the offensive depth chart by position for the Carolina Panthers, identifying areas where the team could improve in the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft.
2022 Carolina Panthers Offensive Rankings
Quarterback Depth Chart, Panthers:
- Andy Dalton
- Matt Corral
- Jacob Eason
The Panthers struggled through last season with no viable option at quarterback.
Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield, and P.J. Walker all started games in 2022. None of them are still with the Panthers, and none of them earned starting roles in 2023, although Mayfield and Darnold may have paths to opportunity.
Carolina has no choice but to draft a quarterback in the first round. They told us as much when they traded their first-round pick (No. 9), the 49ers' second-round pick (No. 61), a 2024 first-round pick, a 2025 second-round pick, and D.J. Moore to the Chicago Bears for the first overall pick in the 2023 draft.
While the team did add Andy Dalton via free agency, he is not expected to hold any of the top rookie quarterbacks out of the starting lineup.
Dalton started over Justin Fields for a short time in 2021 before handing over the reins midway through the year. Dalton is now two years older, in a new system, and will be competing against the top quarterback rather than the 11th overall selection.
The only quarterback left from the 2022 season is second-year signal caller Matt Corral, who missed his entire rookie season due to a Lisfranc injury that required surgery.
He is currently considered questionable for the start of the Panthers’ offseason program. He will have an uphill battle to make the roster regardless of his injury status.
Running Back Depth Chart, Panthers:
- Miles Sanders
- Chuba Hubbard
- Raheem Blackshear
- Spencer Brown
Midway through the 2022 season, the Panthers elected to trade their most valuable player, Christian McCaffrey.
The rushing attack was shockingly more productive in McCaffrey’s absence.
Second-year running back Chuba Hubbard rushed for 466 yards on just 95 attempts.
His running mate, D’onta Foreman, added another name to the list of post-Achilles repair success stories, rushing for 914 yards on 203 attempts.
Foreman hit free agency and earned himself a one-year contract with the Bears.
Hubbard is under contract with the Panthers until 2024 and is expected to be involved in the offense alongside the newly signed Miles Sanders.
Sanders had his most productive season just before he hit the market.
One year removed from a zero-touchdown campaign, Sanders found himself among the lead leaders in the scoring category.
He rushed 259 times for 1,269 yards in addition to 11 touchdowns. He also caught 20 passes, which is something he will have to do more of in 2023.
Sanders never crossed paths with new head coach Frank Reich, but Reich held many ties with the Eagles throughout his tenure in Indianapolis.
It is likely Reich and Sanders have communicated in the past, which could bode well for Sanders’ workload going forward.
While Sanders is entering his fifth year in the league, he will turn 26 in May and has only handled more the 200 touches twice in his NFL career.
Wide Receiver Depth Chart, Panthers:
- Adam Thielen
- DJ Chark
- Terrace Marshall Jr.
- Laviska Shenault
- Damiere Byrd
- Shi Smith
- Preston Williams
- Derek Wright
- C.J. Saunders
While the trade up to the top overall pick was necessary, it took the Panthers out of prime position to select the top receiver in the draft.
Not only will they be unable to select a first-round wide receiver, but they were strong-armed into sending D.J. Moore to Chicago in the deal.
Wide receiver was already a top-three position of need for Carolina, and now they’re without one of the most talented young receivers in the league.
The Panthers have been working to put a band-aid over their wide receiver situation while they focus on quarterback, adding veterans Adam Thielen and DJ Chark via free agency.
Thielen is entering his age-33 season, but he still earned over 100 targets last season and showed he has the ability to be a productive role player.
Chark missed extensive time in his only season with the Lions but showed flashes of the Pro Bowl receiver he was in 2019.
Neither player would typically be a key contributor to an offense at this stage in their respective careers, but given the situation the Panthers find themselves in, they are going to have to be.
Terrace Marshall Jr. and Shi Smith are both young players who have shown promise at times. One of them will have to claim the third wide receiver role if the Panthers do not bring in anyone else.
Tight End Depth Chart, Panthers:
- Hayden Hurst
- Ian Thomas
- Tommy Tremble
- Giovanni Ricci
- Stephen Sullivan
The Panthers have been taking shots at talented pass-catching tight ends in the draft for years to no avail.
Ian Thomas fell to the fourth round of the 2018 draft before being selected by Carolina. He has failed to amass over 40 catches in a single season.
Tommy Tremble was selected in the third round of the 2021 draft and has shown some promise. He started four games in 2022 and caught 32 passes for 174 yards.
The Panthers' new regime has elected to attack the position through free agency this time around by signing former first-round selection Hayden Hurst to a three-year, $21 million contract.
Draft status aside, Hurst has been a productive addition to multiple teams.
He played a key role in the success of the Bengals’ offense last season when he caught 52 passes for 414 yards and 2 touchdowns.
He may not prove to be a focal point of the passing game, but he has been known to have a positive impact on the run game.
There is no shortage of quality receiving tight ends in this year’s draft. The Panthers could stand to add one, but Hurst still has the ability to play meaningful snaps if required.
Offensive Line Depth Chart, Panthers:
LT: Ikem Ekwonu/Larnel Coleman
LG: Brady Christensen/Justin McCray
C: Bradley Bozeman/Sam Tecklenburg
RG: Austin Corbett/Cade Mays/Deonte Brown
RT: Taylor Moton
The offensive line is in good hands with their star left tackle Ikem Ekwonu.
After a bit of a slow start, Ekwonu quickly began justifying his draft capital as the sixth-overall pick in 2022. By the end of the season, he had become one of the league’s most dominant left tackles.
Austin Corbett and Brady Bozeman were both added via free agency last season.
Both additions panned out and played a huge part in the surprising success of Carolina’s one-year offensive line rebuild.
Taylor Moton and Brady Christensen are under contract through the next two seasons.
The one concern is health with both Christensen (broken ankle) and Corbett (torn ACL) recovering from serious late-season injuries.
There’s no surprise the Panthers are electing to run it back with their front five given the success they had in the run game last year, especially post-Christian McCaffrey.
Carolina Panthers Defense: Depth Chart, Analysis & Draft Needs
Adam Wilde breaks down the defensive depth chart by position for the Carolina Panthers, identifying areas where the team could improve in the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft.
2022 Carolina Panthers Defensive Rankings
Interior Defensive Line Depth Chart, Panthers:
- Derrick Brown
- Shy Tuttle
- DeShawn Williams
- Henry Anderson
- Bravvion Roy
- Raequan Williams
- Marquan McCall
- John Penisini
2020 No. 7 overall pick Derrick Brown Jr. is expected to headline the Panthers' interior defensive line group once again.
In 2022, he managed just one sack but pressured the quarterback an impressive 40 times per PFF.
His running mate in 2022, Matt Ioannidis is currently a free agent with no rumors surrounding a potential reunion with the Panthers.
Carolina signed Shy Tuttle to a three-year, $19.5 million contract.
As one of the Saints' best defenders last season, the Panthers expect Tuttle to be a more productive replacement for Ioannidis in the run game.
EDGE Depth Chart, Panthers:
- Brian Burns
- Yetur Gross-Matos
- Marquis Haynes Sr.
- Amare Barno
- Kobe Jones
With the departure of McCaffrey and Moore, Brian Burns becomes one of the faces of the franchise.
His 12.5 sacks were tied for eighth in the league last season. He also finished top 10 in tackles for loss alongside teammate Frankie Luvu, who finished second.
Burns will be a focal point of Carolina’s talented young defense, but the Panthers lack depth behind him.
Yetur Gross-Matos was viewed as excellent value at pick 38 in the 2020 draft but has failed to make much of a name for himself. He managed just 2.5 sacks with 10 quarterback hits last season.
Marquis Haynes is listed as third on the depth chart, but he outproduced Gross-Matos in 2022 with five sacks and 13 quarterback hits.
Unfortunately for Carolina, Haynes is in the final year of his contract.
Off-ball Linebacker Depth Chart, Panthers:
- Shaq Thompson
- Frankie Luvu
- Brandon Smith
- Kamu Grugier-Hill
- Chandler Wooten
- Arron Mosby
The Panthers have glaring needs elsewhere that overshadow their need for production at linebacker.
The situation nearly became dire as the new front office and Shaq Thompson struggled to agree on a restructured contract.
Fortunately for Carolina, they were able to rework his deal, keeping Thompson in Carolina through the 2024 season.
Frankie Luvu was second on the team in tackles last season with 111, which put him just around league average.
He made a strong impact in the passing game with his seven sacks but could stand to improve in coverage.
The Panthers made a free-agent addition in Kamu Grugier-Hill, but his impact will be primarily felt on special teams.
Carolina has two solid contributors at linebacker, but the dropoff from their starters to their reserves is massive.
There are only a few linebackers with starting potential in this draft, and the Panthers will be in a prime position to land one at pick 39.
Cornerback Depth Chart, Panthers:
- Jaycee Horn
- Deonte Jackson
- CJ Henderson
- Eric Rowe
- Keith Taylor
- Stantley Thomas-Oliver III
- Herb Miller
The Panthers' defensive success in 2022 started with their talented secondary. Specifically, their impressive young corner Jaycee Horn.
Horn was drafted eighth overall in 2021, marking the second consecutive year of top 10 defensive selections for Carolina.
He finished 5th in the NFL in yards allowed per coverage snap among qualifying corners in 2022 per PFF.
When Horn suffered a season-ending foot injury in 2021, the Panthers traded for CJ Henderson, who was the ninth overall selection in 2020.
While Henderson was talented, he was not fitting in with the Jacksonville coaching staff. In 2022, Henderson finished middle of the road in most statistical categories and closer to the bottom in others.
Due to his age, contract, and draft capital, he will continue to play, but he could lose time to a healthy Donte Jackson.
Jackson re-signed with the Panthers in 2022 but spent some time injured, which opened the door for Henderson. He finished the season on injured reserve.
At 28 years old, he’s getting long in the tooth for a cornerback, but he is expected to be a primary contributor in 2023, especially if Henderson continues to struggle.
Safety Depth Chart, Panthers:
- Jeremy Chinn
- Vonn Bell
- Xavier Woods
- Sam Franklin Jr.
- Myles Dorn
The Panthers completely revamped their lackluster defense when they drafted seven defenders in 2020. Jeremy Chinn has been one of the more pleasant additions.
He expects to play closer to the line of scrimmage under new coordinator Ejiro Evero in 2023. This play style is far better suited for his size and athleticism.
His enthusiasm comes at the heels of the Panthers signing Vonn Bell to a three-year, $22.5 million contract this offseason.
He played just shy of 100% of defensive snaps for the Cincinnati Bengals as their defensive captain last season.
This pushes Xavier Woods into the third safety role, which was left vacant by Myles Hartsfield.
