The Carolina Panthers have selected Alabama’s standout quarterback Bryce Young with the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. The Panthers acquired the selection in a blockbuster trade with the Chicago Bears back in March.
Young was a starter for two years at Alabama and finished his college career with 8,356 yards and 80 touchdowns. He won the Heisman Trophy in 2021 as the best player in college football and led the Crimson Tide to the National Championship game in the same year.
Despite being considered the best player in the 2023 class, Young wasn’t a consensus favorite of the No. 1 pick. Analysts recognized that he has all the skills needed for the QB position but were unimpressed with his size (5 ft 10 in and 204 lb) and how it will translate to the highest level.
But it turns out that neither the Panthers nor their head coach Frank Reich thinks the lack of size will pose an issue for Young in the pros.
“You just watched the tape. There’s a lot said about the size. At the end of the day, there are a lot of factors that go into it. But we’re coaches; we’re scouts. We watched the tape. And when you watch the tape, Bryce Young is the best player, “said Reich after the pick was made.
Two more quarterbacks were drafted in the Top 4 of the 2023 NFL Draft. Ohio State’s C. J. Stroud was selected second overall by the Houston Texans, while the Indianapolis Colts took Florida’s Anthony Richardson with the No. 4 pick.
