During his pre-draft press conference on Tuesday, Carolina Panthers general manager Scott Fitterer told reporters that the choice for this year’s No. 1 overall pick is “becoming clearer.” Well, that seems to be the case for the top mock drafters, too.
Here, with one week to go until that selection is officially made, are the most recent projections for the Panthers’ pick.
ESPN: Bryce Young, QB, Alabama
I’m doing this mock draft to fill needs — within reason. My No. 1 overall prospect? Defensive tackle Jalen Carter. The Panthers have to get a quarterback, though, and they can get their choice of them at No. 1. Young has superstar potential.
NFL.com: Bryce Young, QB, Alabama
Teams I’ve spoken with compare him more often to a point guard than a quarterback, and that’s OK. He’s going to have the collective voices of head coach Frank Reich, quarterbacks coach Josh McCown, senior assistant Jim Caldwell and veteran QB Andy Dalton in his ear. Young’s small stature is a legit red flag to some evaluators; I still think he’s the pick at No. 1. The 2021 Heisman Trophy winner is a natural leader who can be the face of a franchise.
Pro Football Focus: Bryce Young, QB, Alabama
You won’t find too many evaluators who don’t have Young as QB1 in the class. He truly doesn’t have any bad tape to point to from his two seasons as Alabama’s starter that would give evaluators pause about his size becoming an issue in the NFL. He’s the culture changer that the Panthers need.
CBS Sports: Bryce Young, QB, Alabama
Reportedly it’s down to Young or Stroud for the Panthers, and I can see Frank Reich being enamored with Young’s poise and flair for creativity.
Draft Network: Bryce Young, QB, Alabama
Bryce Young recently became the betting favorite to be the No. 1 overall selection. Size deficiencies didn’t prevent Young from being college football’s top-performing draft-eligible quarterback in 2022. The Carolina Panthers acquired the pick with an unknown specific quarterback in mind. Panthers head coach Frank Reich will appreciate an opportunity to work alongside Young.
The Ringer: Bryce Young, QB, Alabama
When the Panthers made their trade with the Bears back in March, all signs pointed toward C.J. Stroud being their most likely target. The winds have shifted considerably over the past few weeks. Young is an outlier in size, but he’s a really damn good quarterback, possessing high-end processing skills, accuracy, and poise. He gives the Panthers a franchise player to build around.
Pro Football Network: Bryce Young, QB, Alabama
A league source familiar with their thinking told PFN recently that the team didn’t have an issue with Bryce Young’s lack of size.
The source said the Panthers got to see him up close and have enough information that they’re comfortable in making Young their next franchise quarterback since they selected Cam Newton with the first pick overall in the 2011 NFL Draft.
Ideally, you want your signal-caller to be at least 6’0″, and Young measured only 5’10 1/8″ during the NFL Combine. But because of his ability to manipulate the pocket and handle traffic coming toward him, the Panthers and some of the other teams that are quarterback-needy feel that the size issue is overblown.
