One of the biggest stories out of the 2023 rookie class was the disastrous malfunction of both then rookie Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers team surrounding him. Not only did Young himself play far below expectations, the offensive line and weapons at his disposal lent to one of the worst rookie seasons we have seen out of a number one pick.
In the third and final week of the preseason Young saw his first action on the field in this new Dave Canales offense, as fans eagerly awaited any signs of hope from the former Heisman winner. Young showed off his ability to attack the middle of the field, make plays inside a collapsing pocket, and delivering accurate throws on the move.
Bryce Young is the best QB in Alabama history and went #1 overall for a reason.
Slowly but surely he is going to climb the ranks of the NFL’s best quarterbacks. pic.twitter.com/MLfZtGVZQ1
— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) August 24, 2024
It was a breath of fresh air for Young who seemed far more comfortable in a better offensive structure and surrounded by clearly better talent along his offense line and receiving core. Canales looks to have implemented play designs to play to the strength of Young and the structure of the playbook heading into this season will likely match the glimpse that we saw of Young’s preseason touchdown drive.