Why did Steven Drummond leave Panthers? Franchise’s VP of football hands resignation ahead of 2023 NFL Draft

Steven Drummond, the Carolina Panthers' VP of football, has handed in his resignation to the team. The long-time official was with the team since the 2005 season but is going in a different direction this offseason.

The former executive released this statement on his departure.

“With the changes this offseason, this seemed like a good time to transition to other interests. I have enjoyed my time with the Panthers and appreciate the opportunities they gave me. I will continue to root for their success.”

Per Joe Person, the team did not comment on the reasoning behind his departure. Drummond was the highest-ranking black executive on the team and Person's attempts to reach him were unsuccessful.

It's unclear if the hiring of Frank Reich or what the franchise has done to move up to the number one pick had anything to do with the decision. The team is undergoing a lot of major changes this offseason and Drummond is now going to be one of them.

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Who will the Panthers draft first overall?

Part of that franchise change will be whichever player the Carolina Panthers select first overall. They traded up to that pick from ninth overall, but there's no clear favorite for the quarterback position.

Will CJ Stroud be the Panthers pick?

Different mock drafts and analysts have either Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, Anthony Richardson or even Will Levis going first overall. For what it's worth, the team seems to be more inclined to take either Young or Stroud at this stage.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler recently reported that the team might already know their pick:

"I asked at least 20 NFL personnel people, and the votes are essentially split between Young and Stroud. The Panthers have done a stealth job holding the suspense, and only a few people in their building truly know the name that's going on the draft card."

However, they're still wavering back and forth. Rumors have cropped up that the Panthers were leaning towards Stroud before they learned something that made them pivot a little more towards Young.

Perhaps they don't even know, but the consensus is that those two quarterbacks will both be good, so the team doesn't have a bad option there.