“I’m gonna take his money!” C.J. Stroud’s mini-talk with the Panthers contingent leads to HEAVY speculations of him being the No.1 draft pick

Ohio State's pro day was packed with representatives from the Panthers including the head coach to keep an eye on C.J. Stroud..


“I’m gonna take his money!” C.J. Stroud’s mini-talk with the Panthers contingent leads to HEAVY speculations of him being the No.1 draft pick

C.J. Stroud (Image via Bleacher Report)

C.J. Stroud impressed everyone at the 2023 NFL Combine in Indianapolis with his skills which may indicate that he will be going to be the first player to be taken off the board in the draft in April. The Carolina Panthers made a blockbuster trade with the Chicago Bears a few days back and now hold the first overall pick. They are lacking in the quarterback department ever since Cam Newton’s downfall.

With the Panthers having their pick at the quarterback position, Stroud, Anthony Richardson, and Bryce Young, looks like the team is leaning in on Ohio State’s signal-caller. Ohio State’s Pro Day took place on Wednesday where Stroud threw a few passes and the noteworthy thing is that the Panthers were heavily represented at this event. A total of 14 employees including head coach Frank Reich and quarterbacks coach Josh McCown were present.

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After the pro day was over, McCown was heard saying, “We’ll find a court, play some HORSE. Maybe when you live in Charlotte, we’ll find a court.” This was a clear indication that the Panthers are trying to get C.J. Stroud to be their next franchise quarterback. To this quip, Stroud replied, “I’m gonna take his money.” Looks like Carolina has decided on their next signal-caller moving forward.

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C.J. Stroud looks like a lock for the Panthers

C. J. Stroud (Image via Ohio State Buckeyes)
C. J. Stroud (Image via Ohio State Buckeyes)

This wasn’t the first time the Panthers met with C.J. Stroud. As reported by Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, the representatives met with the young quarterback ahead of Ohio State’s pro day. They had a 2 1/2-hour-long dinner during their previous meeting and intend to meet with him again before the draft. The Panthers still haven’t declared their pick but as each day passes, it looks like a lock at C.J. Stroud.

Any doubts people had about C.J. Stroud’s Combine performance being luck were proved wrong by the 21-year-old. Stroud ran the script perfectly and threw darts to every receiver on the field. He showed off his arm strength with a deep ball to Jayden Ballard. The main strength of the probable first-overall pick was displayed — accuracy. He threw repeated accurate passes all over the field along with showing great pocket presence and scrambling ability.

Following the event, C.J. Stroud had an interview with David Carr of NFL Network where he said, “It felt good. Of course, you want some throws back. Those are the ones I’m thinking about, but I thought it came out of my hand well. I thought I just stamped what I can do on the field.”

All things point toward C.J. Stroud being scooped up by the Panthers in the 2023 NFL draft. Let’s see if it’s a lock for Carolina or if was it all a show to distract people. Won’t that be interesting!

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