Who Ex-Patriots QB Cam Newton Suggests Panthers Draft No. 1 Overall

Former New England Patriots quarterback Cam Newton is no longer affiliated with the Carolina Panthers, but that isn’t stopping him from sharing some talent-evaluating advice.

The Panthers currently hold the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, and have plenty of options to choose from. With Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield both proving to be utterly unviable quarterback options last season with the Panthers, it’s clear as day: Carolina is due for a new franchise signal-caller for years to come. And Newton, who played 133 games for the Panthers and led them to a Super Bowl appearance in 2016, offered his two cents.

“If I’m the GM, if I’m the head coach, if I’m (the team owner), I’m selecting Bryce Young,” Newton said on his YouTube channel Wednesday. “And we all know the upside, we all know he went to Alabama, we all know that he has an incredible arm.”

In 2011, Newton was selected No. 1 overall by Carolina, and was their last No. 1 selection.

And while there are plenty of directions the Panthers could go in snagging a quarterback with their pick — Will Levis, Anthony Richardson, C.J. Stroud or Hendon Hooker — Newton views Young as the standout in the bunch. During his third and final season at Alabama, the 21-year-old recorded 3,328 yards passing while throwing 32 touchdowns and five interceptions.

“This is how I judge quarterbacks as a whole: Everybody can throw,” Newton explained. “Everybody has talent. Everybody has upside. Everybody has intangibles, but the thing that everybody doesn’t have, and it’s simple, is leadership. And you can get a (expletive) to follow you.”

Last season the Panthers went 7-10 and missed playoff contention for the fifth consecutive year.

The first round of NFL draft is scheduled to start Thursday at 8 p.m. ET.