C.J. Stroud’s friendly banter with Josh McCown may have given away that he’ll be the No. 1 pick

At this point in the 2023 NFL Draft process, it’d probably be a shock if the Carolina Panthers didn’t take C.J. Stroud at No. 1 overall.

They already sent an absurd number of representatives to Ohio State’s Pro Day — including David Tepper and his wife Nicole, GM Scott Fitterer, and head coach Frank Reich. Sure, they could’ve been there to watch other NFL talent like Paris Johnson Jr., but the easy assumption is that Stroud was the main attraction.

One of the other Panthers reps on hand was QB coach Josh McCown. And after Stroud finished working out, McCown was strangely super friendly with a player who isn’t officially on Carolina’s roster yet.

If I didn’t know any better from this video via Shawn Dunagan of WKYC in Cleveland, it seems like the Panthers have made up their mind to make Stroud the future of their franchise:

#OhioState QB C.J. Stroud meets with #Panthers contingent after his Pro Day. QB Coach Josh McCown says "You spun it well, bro, that was great. That was awesome.

Then the two proceed to schedule a game of horse, Stroud saying "I'm gonna take his money."

: @shawndunagan pic.twitter.com/UIWFY1DvUe

— Nick Carboni (@NickCarboniWCNC) March 22, 2023

Hmm. What does McCown say there exactly? That he’s going to golf with Stroud? That they’ll have to find a course together? The entire exchange isn’t clear. All that’s apparent is Stroud is already super friendly with the Panthers’ brain trust — which means a lot in late March.

NFL fans connected the dots about Stroud and McCown’s friendliness to each other.