The Carolina Panthers have used their 2023 NFL Draft overall first pick on Alabama star quarterback Bryce Young.
Young, 21, has been in the conversation as one of the top draftees since he declared for the NFL Draft after lighting up the college game during his two years at Alabama. The Philly-born football star quickly wrote himself into Alabama’s history books, holding the record for the most passing yards in a single game, after completing 559.
Young also asserted himself as one of college football’s top stars in 2021 after being the recipient of the Heisman Trophy, which is awarded to the most outstanding player that year.
The Panthers were able to get their hands on hotshot Young after becoming the first team to trade for the first pick since the Los Angeles Rams in 2016.
The Chicago Bears did have the overall first pick but decided to accept a trade, which saw them acquire several picks plus DJ Moore, as they’re happy to continue with Justin Fields.
A good NFL Draft could help fire one of last season’s strugglers into championship contenders, as shown by the Cincinnati Bengals and Jacksonville Jaguars in recent years.
The Bengals took quarterback Joe Burrow and receiver Ja'Marr Chase early in the 2020 and 2021 drafts, helping them launch a surprise run to the Super Bowl in 2022, which resulted in a 20-23 loss to the Rams.
While the Jaguars have had the first pick in the past two drafts. They picked up quarterback Trevor Lawrence and then defensive end Travon Walker before making the Play-Offs for the first time in five years.
The Panthers are willing to take a chance on Young, who raised concerns over his slender build. Young stands at just 5ft10in, a similar height to 2019 first overall pick Kyler Murray. “I've been this size, respectfully, my whole life,” Young said at last month’s combine. “I know who I am. I know what I can do."
