Should the Carolina Panthers Take Bryce Young With the 1st Overall Pick in the 2023 NFL Draft?

There’s a lot of chatter surrounding Alabama quarterback Bryce Young and whether he deserves to go first overall in the upcoming NFL Draft.

Is Young the best overall player in this draft class? That’s certainly up for debate. You can make the argument that he’s the best quarterback available. Still, it’s also reasonable to appreciate what the likes of C.J. Stroud, Will Levis, and Anthony Richardson are bringing to the table. Different teams value different skill sets at the quarterback position, and there are not many similarities between any of these four signal-callers. 

The Carolina Panthers are on the clock for next week’s NFL Draft. They have a definite need at the quarterback position, but you have to ask if they would be reaching for Young if they take him first overall. That shouldn’t be considered a slight to Young, knowing that there are highly-rated players in the conversation that aren’t quarterbacks.

If you evaluate the best available player, you can make a real case for defenders Jalen Carter and Will Anderson. Both have elite qualities to their game, while Young has some question marks about whether he’s big enough to be a franchise quarterback at the NFL level.

Size is a factor. Young measured 5-10 1/8″ and 204 pounds at the NFL Scouting Combine. Whoever drafts Young knows there will be questions about his durability, but from a pure talent standpoint, he sees the game like an NFL quarterback needs to, which can’t be overlooked. The Heisman Trophy winner makes intelligent decisions in the pocket and can use his legs when needed. 

On the BetMGM Sportsbook, Young opened the season as a -120 favorite to be the first overall pick, and there’s been some line movement worth tracking since then. On March 6, Young got up to -190 to be the first name off the board at the NFL Draft, but by March 13, he had fallen to +300 after chatter emerged that Carolina coveted Stroud. Whether that was a smokescreen, Young is now listed as a massive favorite to be selected first at -2000. 

Young’s production at Alabama and skill set put him in this conversation. Whether or not this is the best year to have the first overall pick is debatable (see Caleb Williams, USC). Still, when comparing Young to other prospects in his class and factoring in the value of the quarterback position, he should be No. 1. We’re doubling down on Young as Carolina’s choice next Thursday.