To say that Jonathan Jones is confident in the Carolina Panthers selecting Bryce Young would be a huge understatement.
On Tuesday, the CBS Sports lead NFL insider said the following about the top of the 2023 NFL draft:
“Look, we don’t know much about this year’s NFL draft,” Jones stated. “The one thing I know pretty confidently—Bryce Young’s gonna be playing for the Carolina Panthers. Week 1 starter for the Carolina Panthers.”
And that’s not the first time he’s beaten that drum. The former Panthers beat writer for The Charlotte Observer, who’s had a finger on this pulse since the combine, also wrote in his mock draft last week that folks in Charlotte should “get their YOUNG No. 9 jerseys ready.”
Jones continued about how they landed on the University of Alabama quarterback.
“When the Carolina Panthers traded up from 9 to 1 with the Chicago Bears, they had Bryce Young in mind,” he added. “But they wanted to go to his pro day, they wanted to have dinner with him. They wanted to have him come into Charlotte, check him out, make sure he was the real deal. He has checked every box. Yes, he’ll be playing around 194 or so. But they already have a diet plan in place for him once he gets to Charlotte.”
"Bryce Young is going to be playing for the Carolina Panthers."
NFL Insider @jjones9 is confident the Alabama QB will be selected No. 1 overall 👀 pic.twitter.com/9Rg0NX1ddj
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) April 26, 2023
Earlier in the day, after Carolina’s first session of voluntary minicamp, head coach Frank Reich told reporters that the team had come to a consensus on the No. 1 overall pick. While Reich did not disclose exactly what said consensus was, it feels like it’s almost certainly Young at this point.
So . . . can we just set the depth chart now?
