Whether or not all the smoke has been self-manufactured, the Carolina Panthers have made it quite difficult to identify which road they’ll be taking to the top of the 2023 NFL draft. But according to a league insider, there’s something the team itself can spot rather easily.
In his latest mailbag post, MMQB senior NFL reporter Albert Breer was asked if the Panthers would be willing to budge off the first overall pick—which they acquired from the Chicago Bears back on March 10. He shot down the notion, writing that Carolina may want to remain in position for University of Alabama quarterback Bryce Young.
. . . I really think the Panthers see something pretty special in Young, just based on some things I’ve heard. I think they also know even if someone came up to get Stroud, they’d then lose Young to Houston. So my sense would be that even though Carolina GM Scott Fitterer liked the idea of trading back again to pick up some extra capital, the logistics of the situation won’t allow for it.
The Young-to-Carolina train has picked up a substantial amount of steam over the past few days. 2021’s Heisman Trophy winner is currently the odds-on favorite to be the top pick, with C.J. Stroud—the initial lead dog—falling behind at a distant second.
Young concluded his top-30 visit to Charlotte on Tuesday, while Stroud is set to come in—along with Kentucky’s Will Levis—next week.
