Panthers select Alabama QB Bryce Young with No. 1 overall pick in NFL Draft

CHARLOTTE — The Carolina Panthers selected Alabama quarterback Bryce Young with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Last month, the Panthers traded up to acquire the No. 1 overall pick in the draft with the Chicago Bears in exchange for Carolina’s No. 9 and No. 61 overall picks.

There has been a need to solidify the quarterback position as the team has seen its fair share of them in recent years.

The Panthers had a tough choice heading into the draft.

Team officials also looked at Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud, Kentucky’s Will Levis and Florida’s Anthony Richardson.

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The former Crimson Tide quarterback presents the skillset of a franchise quarterback. But it is almost impossible to hear an analysis of the former Heisman Trophy winner that doesn’t mention his height. The average NFL quarterback measures 6 feet, 3 inches tall, while Young is 5 feet, 10 inch tall.

However, history has proven being tall isn’t the only key to success, with stories like Drew Brees and Derek Carr.

Young showed at his pro day that he has the chance to shine at the next level. He showed he’ll take the mindset he had in college to wherever he lands in the NFL.

“It’s a really unique environment,” Young said. “Whenever you’re playing football, if it’s practice, your hearing yelling and screaming from coaches and game there’s a bunch of fans. It’s a really unique environment but at the end of the day, it’s still football.”

Young set Alabama single-season marks for passing yards and touchdowns in 2021 and finished his career second in those categories in school history despite starting for just two seasons, the Panthers reported. His 79 touchdown passes were the most in a two-year span in SEC history.

Young was 30-4 as a starter during three seasons with the Crimson Tide, throwing for 8,356 yards with 80 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, the AP reported. He won the Heisman Trophy in 2021 after 47 TD passes, which got Alabama to 13-2 and the College Football Playoff national championship game.

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