Pro Football Focus

With fewer than 10 days until the Carolina Panthers are on the clock with the first overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft, we wanted to run through an exercise we’ve done in the past. This is not a predictive mock draft, but a mock draft that exclusively follows “analytical” thinking by viewing positional value through two lenses: on-field value and surplus value compared to the veteran marketplace. Each pick in this mock draft was made by factoring in a player’s statistics and grading from college, along with the value of the player’s natural position. While taking one of the best running back prospects we’ve seen in quite some time in the top 10 may seem fun, it isn’t the best allocation of resources given the depth at the position in this year’s draft. When looking at team needs, we made sure to consider the long-term outlook of how the player fits in a roster, not just their impact in 2023. Expiring contracts, age in the position group and overall skill level in the group were all part of the process when mocking each player to their respective teams.