With the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Carolina Panthers selected Alabama quarterback Bryce Young. Despite some smokescreens coming from the organization, Young was the rumored selection for weeks.
He was a heavy favorite to go first overall and the Panthers weren’t trading away the kind of package that they did to trade back down despite what they leaked. There may have been some debate over which quarterback to select, but ultimately, it was Young who emerged.
It is easy to see why the former Heisman Trophy winner was their selection. While his size could be a detriment, as he is listed at only 5’10”, but his talent is undeniable. He is by far the best pure passer in this year’s draft class and if Carolina can protect him and keep him healthy, he will produce.
A popular exercise during the pre-draft process now is to also compare prospects to professional players. Far from an exact science, it does create good discussion points and healthy debates attempting to project what we could see from a player once he starts his career in the NFL.
For Young, he received an intriguing comparison. He was compared to former Dallas Cowboys starting quarterback, Tony Romo. Romo had some very successful seasons in Dallas, earning four Pro Bowl nominations and finishing third in the MVP voting in 2014.
He completed 65.3 percent of his pass attempts in his career, but the biggest knock against him will always be his inability to get the Cowboys over the hump when it counted most. Romo went 78-49 as a starter in the regular season but only 2-4 in the postseason.
Romo oversaw some explosive Cowboys offenses and if the Young can get the Panthers clicking at that level, ownership should be very happy. Short of being Hall of Fame caliber, Romo did enjoy a very successful career as a 10-year starter with some injuries mixed in.
Some within the Panthers organization will certainly hope that Young produces more and has a longer career than Romo did. But, what the former Cowboys starter accomplished would make for an excellent floor for Young in his career. If he can play to that level but experience more postseason success, Carolina will be happy.
