Panthers Selected Bryce Young Over CJ Stroud As Their No. 1 NFL Draft Pick

A new star has emerged for the Carolina Panthers. With the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft in Kansas City, Missouri, the Panthers selected Alabama quarterback Bryce Young.

In the weeks following the club brass’s conclusion of its visitation trip with the top quarterbacks in the class, discussion around Carolina’s selection had subsided. Although the team had kept its plans for the No. 1 pick a secret in the days leading up to Round 1, head coach Frank Reich told reporters on Tuesday that the Panthers had reached an agreement on their choice. That consensus was Bryce Young.

Panthers Selected Bryce Young Over CJ Stroud As Their No. 1 NFL Draft Pick

The first four choices on Thursday night were Bryce Young, CJ Stroud, and Anthony Richardson, which was to be expected in a league where teams are aware that drafting a franchise quarterback is the surest way to success.

The Panthers selected the 2021 Heisman Trophy winner Young over Will Levis of Kentucky, Florida’s Richardson, and Ohio State’s Stroud. Frank Reich, the new coach, stated earlier in the week that the group finally came to an agreement on Monday after several weeks of discussion.

Young and Stroud appeared to be the only viable choices at the time, with Will Levis and Anthony Richardson acting as ancillary alternatives. However, Stroud has been the subject of several rumors that have diminished his reputation. His failure to pass the S2 test, which measures the mental agility of potential NFL players, and his ghosting of the Manning Academy stand out most.

The wait for Stroud wasn’t that lengthy. He went to the Houston Texans with the No. 2 pick, and they then struck a huge deal with Arizona to get the No. 3 pick, where they chose Alabama edge rusher Will Anderson Jr.

But Young’s size raises the most concerns. At the combine, his height was 5 feet 10 inches and weight was 204 pounds. Despite dominating the SEC, some scouts and coaches worry that Young won’t be physically able to endure all the blows in the NFL.

“I’m confident in my abilities,” Young said Wednesday. “I don’t know how to play the game another way. I’ve been this size relative to the people around me my entire life. I focus on what I control, and I can’t grow. That doesn’t fall into that category. I can’t get any taller. I focus on myself. I’m confident in myself with what I’ve been able to do and I’m excited for the work it’s going to take.”

The Panthers are counting on Young, who had an outstanding career at Alabama, to bring home the team’s first Lombardi Trophy.

In his debut season as a starter as a sophomore in 2021, Young passed for 4,872 yards with 47 touchdowns and seven interceptions. While playing with a new supporting cast last season, he had 3,328 yards passing with 32 touchdowns and five interceptions.

Bryce’s stats

The Panthers were especially pleased by Young’s leadership and capacity for information processing since these qualities were the priority they were searching for in the new face of the club.

Year Games COM/ATT COM% YDs TDs INTs RTG Rush* Rush YDs Rush TDs
2020 7 13/22 59.1% 156 1 0 133.7 9 -23 0
2021 15 366/547 66.9% 4,832 47 7 167.5 81 0 3
2022 13 245/380 64.5% 3,328 32 5 163.2 49 185 4

 

 

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