Bryce Young is one of the top quarterback prospects available in this year’s draft, and the expectation is that either he or C.J. Stroud will go first overall.
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Right now, the Carolina Panthers hold the first overall pick in the draft after they sent a mammoth of picks and D.J. Moore to the Bears. Carolina definitely does not have a franchise quarterback at the moment, so the plan is definitely to take one of Young or Stroud.
At the moment, the decision is up in the air. Either quarterback could fit well in either system, but currently, Young does seem to be the favorite.
Carolina made some waves when a video of them essentially offering Stroud the facilities he’d want in Carolina went viral. Of course, that doesn’t necessarily mean anything, but it could be a sign.
Did #Panthers coach Josh McCown tell CJ Stroud: “Maybe when you live in Charlotte we’ll find a court.” ?
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) March 22, 2023
However, Alabama head coach Nick Saban firmly believes that his former quarterback is the clear choice at first overall.
Nick Saban backs Bryce Young to go first overall
Bryce Young showed out during his playing time in Alabama. Young’s field general skills are showcased by how good of a team Alabama was during his year. In the 27 games where Young was a starter, Alabama won 24 games. They won the 2021 SEC title under him as well.
In the long line of success Alabama has seen at the quarterback position, Young was able to set several records. He set the single-season passing record at 4,872, the single-season passing touchdowns record at 47, and he’s 1st in Alabama’s career five touchdown games at 5.
Young won the Heisman in 2021 and was the College Football Player of the Year by AP in 2021. Overall, he’s enjoyed a very successful career, and his talent and skillset are immense. There are concerns about his size which will be the overwhelming question going into the draft. Nick Saban doesn’t buy it and put it simply:
Nick Saban drops the mic on the Bryce Young height concerns rhetoric 🤧 pic.twitter.com/9DjdFmO5Uv
— Touchdown Alabama (@TDAlabamaMag) March 23, 2023
What will the Carolina Panthers do?
It’s anyone’s guess as to whether Stroud or Young will be first off the board, but what’s guaranteed is that the other is going right after them.
The Houston Texans are picking after the Panthers, and they are also desperately on the lookout for a quarterback. They nearly had the first overall pick, but a somewhat miracle win in their last regular season game promoted the Bears over them in the draft order.