WATCH: Josh McCown appears to possibly spoil Panthers' No. 1 overall pick plan
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The Carolina Panthers have made their interest in former Ohio State star CJ Stroud well known now that they have the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. But is it possible new quarterbacks coach Josh McCown spoiled their plans?
Based on a video from Ohio State’s Pro Day, he might have.
After Stroud’s workout, he said goodbye to the Panthers’ contingent, which included McCown and new coach Frank Reich. At some point, Stroud and McCown talked about playing a game of HORSE, and that’s when a big hint might have dropped.
“Maybe when you live in Charlotte, …” McCown said before walking away.
It sounds like wherever they play their game of HORSE, though, Stroud likes his chances of winning.
“I’m gonna take his money,” he said.
Carolina made a blockbuster trade with the Chicago Bears to land the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft, sending wide receiver DJ Moore, two first-round picks and two second-round picks to Chicago to move atop the board.
Now, the question is who the Panthers will take.
Stroud and Bryce Young are widely considered the top two quarterbacks on the board. But they both have different skillsets. Young is known as a mobile quarterback who can maneuver out of trouble in the pocket to make up for his stature. Stroud, however, has impressed with his accuracy through the pre-draft process and could put himself in position to go ahead of Young.
He opened some eyes at pro day, including those of ESPN analyst Louis Riddick, who made it clear what he’d do if he was in charge.
“My vote? Pick him,” Riddick said on The Paul Finebaum Show.
Riddick spoke highly of what he saw out of Stroud during the pro day, pointing to his accuracy and ball placement as reasons the Panthers should select him atop the board.
“He was pushing it down the field with tremendous accuracy — 25, 30, 45 air yards, putting it on the money on these go routes down the sideline,” Riddick said. “And then, he dialed back and started really working through the route tree. The short, the intermediate, the long game. The straight drop backs, three-, five- and seven-step. The play-action passing game. The RPO-like passing game. Rolling out, pushing the ball down the field. Rolling left, rolling right, he did it all.
“Were there a few throws late in the workout that he would like to have back and maybe he missed one or two? Sure. But by and large, he put the ball on the money, he threw the football with anticipation, he threw the football with velocity, he threw it with touch.”