The Carolina Panthers selected Alabama star [autotag]Bryce Young[/autotag] with the No.1 pick in the 2023 NFL draft. So far, he could not be off to a better start in Charlotte.
Young’s greatest asset has always been his intangibles, and, to this point, he has blown away the coaching staff and his teammates with how mature and prepared he is.
Traditionally, when a quarterback was drafted into the NFL, he spent his rookie year sitting behind a veteran to learn the system and adapt to the speed of the game. In recent years, teams have tried to get their newly drafted signal callers onto the field as soon as possible.
I believe the best way to learn is by playing the game, and we have seen Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert and Josh Allen find significant success as rookies who started immediately.
Young appears to be the next guy in that line. The Panthers have already named him their QB1. This is a big deal for Young because it means he will get almost all of the first-team reps during the offseason. Andy Dalton is one of the best backup quarterbacks in the NFL and is more than capable of winning games, but Young is the future of the franchise, and it’s essential the Panthers see what they have on their hands.
Fox Sports Colin Cowherd weighed in on the Panthers’ decision, and he is a massive fan of it. Cowherd defends the Panthers’ decision to name Young as QB1 in June by saying,
“Frank Reich is an offensive coach, he gets it, he played it, he’s not tone deaf to it. Just give the guy (Young) all of the snaps and go. You’re not a Super Bowl team so it doesn’t matter. … For years and years, I believed the young guy should sit, but the world has changed. Bryce Young was a three-year starter in high school at a legendary Southern California program that feels like a college program. … Then he goes to Alabama and starts two years for Nick Saban, he’s ready to play.”
Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Young’s progress with the Panthers.
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