The Carolina Panthers made a blockbuster trade earlier this offseason, acquiring the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft from the Chicago Bears. While they did their best to keep their intentions secret, going as far as to say they would trade the pick themselves, everyone knew what was coming.
The Panthers would use that No. 1 pick on a quarterback and that is exactly what they did. With the first pick, Carolina selected Alabama quarterback Bryce Young. Young was excellent in his two seasons as a starter with the Crimson Tide, taking home the Heisman Trophy for the 2021 season.
The only real knock against Young is his lack of size. He measured in at only 6 feet tall, which is undersized for a professional quarterback. While it could be a deterrent, there are plenty of quarterbacks around that size who have found success in the NFL.
The Panthers are confident Young will be the next one, otherwise, they wouldn’t have traded up to select him. His new offensive coordinator Thomas Brown was never phased by it as he answered questions Tuesday during a press conference.
“It was never an issue, in my opinion, just for me,” Brown said. “He’s still playing football, so if we’re in a competition for the tallest, the biggest, the fastest — if it were an overall combine deal, then maybe so. … For me personally, I never cared about it because I evaluate tape, I evaluate the person. I think about the projection to this level and Bryce is himself.
“I’m not interested in comparisons about who came before or what’s coming in the future. I try to look at everybody individually of what they can do and what they can bring to the table.”
There is a lot more than just height that goes into being a good quarterback in the NFL. If that is the only negative you can come up with for a player, they are likely a very good prospect.
The tape is definitely strong for Young. He was regarded as the best pure passer in this year’s draft class and his production at Alabama speaks for itself. Thomas spoke about that as well on Tuesday.
“I think everything you saw on tape from him at Alabama, I think just from the beginning of the process, from how he handles pressure, to his operation, to the QB mechanics, ball placement,” Brown said. “Having a chance to be with him in person, sit in meetings, hear him call back plays, talk through concepts.
“We’re just trying to do a really good job of trying to start those rookies off with base calls, introduction of our offense. Not overloading anybody — including him. But I thought he handled it well.”
There is certainly some added pressure when you are picked first with very high expectations. The Panthers are hoping Young can become their franchise quarterback, helping the team get back on track after Matt Rhule’s tenure as head coach was derailed by inconsistent quarterback play.
