C.J. Stroud pro day takeaways: Panthers seemingly smitten with potential No. 1 overall NFL Draft pick

Joe Rivera

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C.J. Stroud pro day takeaways: Panthers seemingly smitten with potential No. 1 overall NFL Draft pick image

The Panthers are on the clock — as is C.J. Stroud.

Pro days are generally more for Twitter and highlight reels than they are for actual evaluation. While the window between the NFL Combine and a prospect's pro day can be used for quick fixes and improvements, throwing against air in T-shirts and shorts doesn't exactly make for a valuable tool. 

For Stroud, though, the stakes may be a little bit higher than usual. Stroud and Alabama's Bryce Young are currently locked in a battle to be QB1 in the 2023 NFL Draft, albeit indirectly. The passers will likely come off the board 1-2 — but the order will be settled over the coming weeks, starting with Stroud's pro day.

Young entered the draft cycle as the clear-cut top quarterback on the table, and there's a good chance he could remain that way unless Stroud continues to impress during the pre-draft cycle. He had his next shot at Ohio State's pro day on March 21, where he threw in front of a lot of scouts, GMs and coaches, making his mark.

MORE: What bettings odds say about C.J. Stroud and the No. 1 overall pick

Here's what was noticeable from Stroud's pro day on Wednesday:

C.J. Stroud pro day takeaways

Panthers doing their homework

When the Panthers traded up to the No. 1 spot in mid-March, it was a lock they were drafting a quarterback. It's just unclear which of the two — or three, or four — they have their eyes on. 

The Panthers sent a brain trust of 11 people to Ohio State's pro day: Owners David and Nicole Tepper, GM Scott Fitterer, assistant GM Dan Morgan, head coach Frank Reich, vice president Samir Suleiman, offensive coordinator Thomas Brown, quarterbacks coach Josh McCown, senior assistant Jim Caldwell, scouting director Cole Spencer and scout Joel Patten.

The Panthers also wined and dined Stroud on the night before his pro day, making a lengthy visit with the prospect.

There's "due diligence" and then there's what the Panthers are doing — potentially tipping their hand ahead of April 27.

And, of course, those Panthers in attendance got to say hello to Stroud once the workout finished.

Plenty of interested parties

There's a pretty good chance that Stroud isn't falling past the No. 2 pick in April, but that didn't stop seemingly the entire league from showing up to watch him throw.

Outside of the Panthers, who were clearly pretty invested in Stroud, there was a big, big crowd in attendance. While other Buckeye players partook in pro day, ESPN's Pete Thamel reports that 125 coaches, scouts and GMs were in attendance to watch Stroud throw. 

A lot more will show up to watch him throw on Sundays, but this is a pretty good start.

Clean, easy, smooth, effortless

The big advantages Stroud has in his favor are his mechanics, arm strength, and ability to put the ball wherever he needs and wants. Needless to say, that stuff is pretty important when it comes to playing quarterback in the National Football League.

Unsurprisingly, Stroud showcased more of the same on Wednesday: He threw 55 times and had a few he'd want back, but otherwise, was clean, precise and showcased a big arm from all platforms. 

Typically, you don't learn much from guys in T-shirts and shorts throwing against air and running routes against no one, but Stroud finished the day with a pretty bomb on-the-move to fellow future first-round pick Jaxon Smith-Njigba:

So, Stroud did save his best for last, and maybe it was good enough to be first come April 27.

Joe Rivera

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Joe Rivera is in his seventh year with The Sporting News, handling NFL, MLB and some things pro wrestling. A proud-ish Rutgers University graduate, Rivera combines a new-school flair with an old-school soul. He loves dingers, wrestling, comic books, movies, music and really bad puns. He is also a card-carrying BBWAA member and teaches Multimedia Sports Reporting at his alma mater.

You can find him and tweet him @JoeRiveraSN, if you're into that sort of thing.