Bryce Young has some fans over at 800 South Mint Street.
In the latest edition of his “Football Morning in America” column, NBC Sports’ Peter King runs down the buzz he’s currently hearing about the top four teams in the 2023 NFL draft order. For the Carolina Panthers, who are perceived to be falling for Ohio State University quarterback’s C.J. Stroud, he notes that Young still has the support of some key individuals within the building.
King writes:
The other thing I hear is several influential voices in the organization favor Young. That doesn’t mean Young will be the pick—not at all. This will be a collaborative choice, and the Panthers still have organizational meetings ahead to set their draft board with finality. But before he took the Carolina quarterback-coach job, Josh McCown reportedly told friends he loved Young. What that means after he’s studied all of the passers, I don’t know.
Ever since he was introduced as Carolina’s new head coach, Reich has insisted that his team will be the product of a collaborative effort. And they’ve apparently stayed true to that mission, one much different from the last (and failed) regime of former head coach Matt Rhule.
Their approach is so solidified, in fact, that Reich would likely be willing to concede if the consensus doesn’t tip towards “his guy,” whomever that may be. King adds:
Frank Reich is not one to brawl about players, even one as important as this one. He’s a consensus-seeker. I think he likes Young, and likes him a lot. I just don’t know if he likes him more than Stroud. But if he favors Stroud, and if the majority of the influencers inside the Panthers love Young, I believe Reich will be okay with picking him.
