The 2023 NFL draft changed in a big way on Friday, and it appears to have changed in a good way for C.J. Stroud.
The Carolina Panthers acquired the No. 1 overall pick in a trade up with the Chicago Bears, and the consensus belief is that the Panthers will use that pick to draft the former Ohio State quarterback. Stroud is now the betting favorite to be the first player drafted, and longtime Panthers beat reporter Joseph Person reported shortly after the trade that “the sense around the league” is they traded up for Stroud.