Expert Analysis
4/27/23
3 min read
Panthers Get Their Franchise QB: Alabama's Bryce Young Goes No. 1
A dozen years ago, the Carolina Panthers used the top overall draft pick on Auburn’s Cam Newton. They turned to the same state on Thursday night to lead off the 2023 NFL Draft by selecting Alabama quarterback Bryce Young (scouting report).
Should Young emulate Newton, he could become a league MVP and take the Panthers to a Super Bowl. Naturally, Carolina is planning on that, plus one more step: winning the championship that Newton didn’t.
While Young didn’t capture a national title with the Crimson Tide, he earned the 2021 Heisman Trophy and led Alabama to a 24-4 record in his two seasons as a starter. His 88 touchdowns compared to 12 interceptions indicate how effective Young can be, even with concerns about his being short for the position at under 6-foot.
“He’s a complete quarterback with excellent leadership and command of the offense,” says Hall of Fame executive and The 33rd Team’s Bill Polian. “His poise under pressure and clutch performances in big games are excellent. Young’s grasp of a pro-style offense is excellent. He is poised against the blitz and can avoid a free rusher, reset and make a play. His field vision and ability to extend and secure a completion outside the pocket are excellent as a throw-first quarterback on the run.
“He is a winner. His playing ability is not an issue. His height, girth and susceptibility to injury are."
Size never was an issue with Newton — quite the opposite — but he also took enough of a beating because of his attacking style. A style that likely contributed to a decline in his performance by the 2019 season.
Luckily for Carolina, Young isn’t likely to put himself in harm’s way as Newton did. Still, if the 21-year-old quarterback can replicate the production that helped Newton win the Offensive Rookie of the Year award in his first NFL season, that would be a superb start.
"When we went through the process with these quarterbacks, we asked ourselves, 'Which one of these guys will be a guy that can take us?' " Panthers owner David Tepper later explained at a news conference in which he never sat down. "Not to talk about all the different guys, but we thought this guy had the highest probability of winning Super Bowls.
"Listen, you want to win Super Bowls. And you know there's no sure thing here. But it's a probability. We thought this guy has the best probability of winning Super Bowls."
And here’s a bit more history. Alabama, of course, has had a rich collection of quarterbacks who became starters, even Hall of Famers. So the Panthers can only hope Young follows the career paths of Bart Starr, Joe Namath and Ken Stabler – all Super Bowl champions with busts in Canton.
