If nothing unexpected happens, Bryce Young will be the No. 1 overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft. The Carolina Panthers are already preparing his arrival, and now the team’s general manager has surrendered to his talent by saying that the former Alabama quarterback will follow Russell Wilson’s steps.
Hundreds of college players will know their fate next week. The 2023 NFL Draft order is set, but some teams are still interested in making some moves to change it and sign the best prospects.
It is a belief within the league that the Panthers will go for Bryce Young with the 1st-overall pick. They have high hopes with this selection as the team truly thinks he could be the star they have been looking for recently.
Panthers GM compares Bryce Young to Russell Wilson ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft
The Panthers’ front office has to make one of the toughest decisions in football. To hold the 1st-overall pick is not easy, as fans are waiting for them to select the best player available in order to compete against the best clubs.
There are multiple good quarterbacks to pick this year, but the Panthers have already made their decision. According to reports, Carolina will go for Bryce Young, former Alabama Crimson Tide player, even though his size is something that scares all scouts.
Young measured in at 5-foot-10, 204 pounds at the NFL Combine. Neither his height nor his weight are within the league averages, but Scott Fitterer, the team’s general manager, knows there have been stories of success from players with a body type similar to Bryce’s, like Russell Wilson.
“I would say this: When Russell Wilson came out, I think he had three balls batted down his senior year. Bryce had two,” Fitterer told reporters on Tuesday. “It doesn’t seem to be an issue. When you grow up — a shorter quarterback — you learn how to evolve your game and adapt and see the field, and he’s done that just like C.J. [Stroud] evolved his game, Will [Levis] evolved his game. They all develop, and there’s certain tools that they have and they learn to play to their strength. And they’ve all done that.”
It is not just Young’s height, it is also his weight which alarms the scouts. He weighed in at 204 pounds at the combine, 10 pounds more than what he was listed during his junior season with the Crimson Tide. However, he must increase it more in order to have more muscle and be less prone to injuries.
“I think nutritionally we can do some things to educate him, get him in the weight room,” Fitterer added. “When you really look at his lower body, his lower body has gotten bigger. He’s put on a lot of mass down there. Lot of times quarterbacks don’t want to lift upper body because you get a little bit bound up. But there’s some things, he’s gonna naturally put on size as he ages as well. Again, going back to Russ, I think he came out at 206 pounds. He’s at 220 now. I mean, guys just grow. That’s something he can control, that’s something we can help him with. We can’t control the height.”
