As we’ve said before—when Jonathan Jones speaks on the Carolina Panthers, you best listen. And he’s been speaking on their soon-to-be No. 1 overall pick for quite some time now.
The former team beat writer for The Charlotte Observer and lead NFL insider for CBS Sports has been beating the Bryce Young-to-Carolina drum as far back as the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine.
🤣🤣 i’ve been saying bryce since the combine on the cbs platforms
— Jonathan Jones (@jjones9) April 13, 2023
And now, he’s played that beat right into Wednesday. In his first mock draft of the year, Jones seems highly confident that the University of Alabama quarterback is indeed the selection for the Panthers.
He writes:
This has been a no-brainer for Carolina. The Panthers won’t confirm their interest publicly in order to keep any potential draft-day drama alive, but get your YOUNG No. 9 jerseys ready in Charlotte.
While general manager Scott Fitterer insisted during Tuesday’s pre-draft press conference that a definitive decision has not been reached, Young has grown into the heavy odds-on favorite to be the first name called on the night of April 27.
Oh, and speaking of heavy, current Panthers quarterback Matt Corral—who still owns that No. 9 jersey—is apparently up to 220 pounds. So Young, especially with all the hoopla around his size, might want to think twice before trying to wrestle it away from.
