The NFL can be a fickle place for young players. One minute, you’re the new hotness, and the next, you’re old and busted. A few months ago, Alabama QB Bryce Young was the bell of the ball, viewed by many media outlets as the consensus No. 1 overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft. Any team with quarterback aspirations would have lined up for him.
Fast forward a few months, and the unwavering support for the former Heisman Trophy-winning signal-caller has died down to a faint whisper.
The Carolina Panthers rookie QB has struggled his first season in the league, as many rookie quarterbacks have before him. However, the early-season struggles wouldn’t be particularly alarming if not for C.J. Stroud.
Why Bryce Young Over C.J. Stroud?
The Houston Texans surprised many when they selected Ohio State’s Stroud No. 2 overall. Many had them pegged for a defender, but ultimately, the franchise wanted to turn the page in the post-Deshaun Watson era.
Stroud has been other-worldly and has NFL fans — and front-office personnel — thinking Carolina picked the wrong QB.
The Panthers and owner David Tepper were desperate to make a splash at quarterback. Think back to the previous QB entanglement. Carolina attempted to trade for veteran signal-caller Matthew Stafford when he wanted out from Detroit. The Lions would eventually deal their franchise QB to the Rams, however, where he would hoist the Lombardi Trophy.
Carolina was also involved in the Watson sweepstakes, attempting to convince him that they were the best fit. Watson spurned their efforts, eventually whittling down his list to the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints before the Cleveland Browns swooped in with an offer he couldn’t refuse.
The Panthers resorted to retread options like Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield. When those options failed miserably, Carolina was once again on the search for its franchise QB.
Entering the offseason, the Panthers had the ninth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft and knew if they wanted to make their splash, they had to make a deal to move up.
With teams like Houston and Indianapolis lingering with the second and fourth overall selections, respectively, Carolina had to leapfrog to the top of the draft to select their choice of quarterbacks. The Panthers’ front office discussed trade options with Chicago, and on March 12, Carolina made a trade with the Bears to shake up the draft.
Carolina dealt WR DJ Moore, its 2023 first-round pick (ninth overall), a 2023 second-round pick, a 2024 first-round pick, and a 2025 second-rounder to Chicago for the rights to No. 1 overall.
Once the deal was announced, NFL media outlets and draft analysts began to speculate — which QB would Carolina choose?
MORE: How Long Did DJ Moore Play for the Panthers?
Rampant rumors speculated that Carolina would consider Florida QB Anthony Richardson, given his similarities to former Panthers franchise QB Cam Newton. While the similarities are striking, those rumors died down fairly quickly.
Word began to make its rounds in NFL circles that the organization, particularly head coach Frank Reich, preferred the gunslinger Stroud. Draft pundits connected the dots to Reich’s preference for vertical passing and suitable size as to why.
The Stroud-Reich connection and speculation made more sense than the Richardson rumors. For weeks, NFL Draft pundits chased the tail of this rumor, projecting Stroud to go No. 1 in NFL mock drafts. As the draft neared, though, the Stroud speculation faded, and it was Young who stood above the rest for Carolina.
From the top down, the Panthers organization felt that Young would lead the franchise in the future. Tepper provided glaring insight into their decision-making process.
“We felt so strongly about the quarterback this year, right? Like, even in our February meetings, where every scout had the same opinion on this guy. It never really changed.”
The decision to go with Young made sense. The former Crimson Tide signal-caller won the Heisman Trophy in 2021, looking the part of a future NFL franchise QB, throwing for 4,872 passing yards and 47 touchdowns.
MORE: Who Are Carolina Panthers QB Bryce Young’s Parents?
Young’s critics quickly pointed out his lack of stature, standing 5’10”, 200 pounds, as deterrents for his NFL future. While the criticism was just the NFL has a specific brand of physicality, Young showed he could perform at the highest level against the best competition in college football in the SEC.
Young had the mind for the game, a quick processor of onfield information. Outside of his lack of prototypical NFL size, there was little criticism otherwise. As we enter the second half of the NFL season, however, the media tune around Young has changed.
Will Carolina Regret Passing on Stroud?
Early returns suggest the Panthers made the wrong decision with the first pick, but that’s what it is — early returns. These two signal-callers will be compared to one another for their entire NFL careers, so fans and analysts have plenty of time to evaluate and compare the two over the course of a larger sample size.
We live in the social media era where every game is larger than life and under the microscope. Not to evaluate the two against each other so far would be foolhardy. Let’s take a look.
Bryce Young’s 2023 Statistics:
- Passing Yards: 1,375
- Passing TDs: 8
- INTs: 7
- Completion %: 63.9
- QB Rating: 77.1
CJ Stroud’s 2023 Statistics:
- Passing Yards: 2,270
- Passing TDs: 14
- INTs: 1
- Completion %: 62
- QB Rating: 102.9
When compared side by side, it’s hard not to suggest the Panthers made the incorrect decision on draft day. Whether their career arcs continue on this trajectory remains to be seen, but for now, Carolina may regret passing on Stroud, whether they admit it or not.
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