NFL Draft 2023: Bryce Young goes first overall to Carolina Panthers

KANSAS CITY, Mo

Quarterbacks dominated the early part of the NFL draft.
The Arizona Cardinals, who took the sixth overall pick, took Ohio State offensive lineman Paris Johnson Jr.
Bryce Young, CJ Stroud and Anthony Richardson were among the first four picks Thursday. The result was not surprising in a league where teams know that finding an iconic franchise quarterback is the fastest path to success.

The Carolina Panthers drafted Young, the lean and dynamic quarterback from Alabama, with the first pick, seven weeks after making a colossal trade with Chicago to ensure they would get the player they needed.

Carolina chose Young, the 2021 Heisman Trophy winner, over Ohio State’s CJ Stroud; Anthony Richardson, from Florida, and Will Levis, from Kentucky. New coach Frank Reich said earlier in the week that the organization had reached a consensus on Monday after several weeks of deliberation.

Still, Stroud didn’t have to wait long. As the second overall pick, he landed with the Houston Texans, who then made a big trade with Arizona for a third-round draft pick as well, snapping up Alabama outside linebacker Will Anderson Jr..

Richardson was selected in the fourth pick, to reach the Indianapolis Colts, who for the sixth consecutive season will have a new starting quarterback.

Facing this draft there was no consensus on the selections, beyond the first.

Young is considered a good playmaker who is a dual threat, with a great arm and great speed. He has displayed cunning and good intangibles coveted by coaches, including leadership and work ethic.

The main doubts are related to his physique. At the combine, he listed a height of five feet 10 1/8 inches (1.78 centimeters) and a weight of 204 pounds (92.5 kilograms). Although he dominated the SEC conference, some scouts and coaches fear he may not be equipped to take all the beatings in the NFL.

But the Panthers couldn’t ignore his superior ability.

Kyler Murray, the first pick in 2019, is the other quarterback since 2003 to have been selected in the first round despite registering at a combine weight of 207 pounds (94 kilograms) or less.

“I am confident in my abilities,” Young said Wednesday. “I don’t know how to play any other way. I’ve been this size relative to other people my entire life. I focus on what I can control and I can’t grow. That does not fall into this category. I can’t get taller. I am focused on myself, I am confident in myself, in what I am capable of doing, and I am excited about the work that will be required”.

The Panthers have searched for a quarterback answer since parting ways with Cam Newton, the No. 1 pick in the 2011 draft and the NFL MVP in 2015, when he led Carolina to a 15-1 record and a Super Bowl appearance.

The main doubts are related to his physique. At the combine, he listed a height of five feet 10 1/8 inches (1.78 centimeters) and a weight of 204 pounds (92.5 kilograms). Although he dominated the SEC conference, some scouts and coaches fear he may not be equipped to take all the beatings in the NFL.

But the Panthers couldn’t ignore his superior ability.