After walking across the stage as the No. 1 pick Thursday night, Bryce Young was welcomed to Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte with a parade of fans Friday.
Great crowd here in Charlotte to welcome the Panthers #1 Draft pick, Bryce Young. pic.twitter.com/2havVMaQad
— Carolina Blitz (@KeepBlitzin) April 28, 2023
Bryce Young Receives Warm Welcome From Carolina Panthers Faithful Fans
Young made his way through the crowd, taking selfies with fans and signing memorabilia before striking the Panthers Keep Pounding drum. Bryce Young last visited Charlotte on April 11 as a part of the pre-draft top-30 visit. Then, he’d make his way through the stadium to prepare for his introductory press conference as an official Carolina Panther. Throughout the presser, Young displayed the humbleness he’s shown during the draft process.
“It’s surreal for me,” Young said. “So I just want to say thank you to Mr. and Mrs. Tepper, to Scott (Fitterer) and to coach (Frank Reich), and to everyone who believed in me. This is an opportunity I don’t take lightly; I don’t take it for granted. And I know it’s a huge blessing.”
A Gamble to No. 1
The last time Carolina took a quarterback in the first round in 2011, he quickly became an icon in Charlotte. Since Cam Newton’s first departure after the 2019 season, Carolina has struggled to find their franchise quarterback with attempts at signing or trading for previous first-round quarterbacks in Teddy Bridgewater, Sam Darnold, and Baker Mayfield. Finally, after six years without a playoff appearance, Carolina took the gamble and traded up to the No. 1 pick.
From the beginning of the scouting process, Young stuck out amongst the crowd and was the favorite within the building since the trade occurred. With the Panthers heavily invested in Young’s future by trading away future draft picks and wide receiver DJ Moore, it’s up to Young to prove that he was worth the investment, and he plans to hit the ground running in Charlotte.
“I’m super excited to get to work. I’m super grateful my parents and everyone who made this possible for me. And I couldn’t be more excited to be here, to be a Panther, and I’m ready to get to work.”
Set Up For Success
Unlike previous No. 1 picks, Young slots into a win-now Panthers team with a reworked offense and a young star-studded defense. The offensive side of the ball has been the focal point of Carolina’s offseason with the addition of running back Miles Sanders and wide receivers Adam Thielen and DJ Chark.
Bryce Young will act as the “point guard” of the offense by disrupting the ball to his weapons, as he’s been compared to the “Steph Curry of the NFL,” a Charlotte native. Along with a new offense, a completely new coaching staff has been brought in with the hiring of head coach Frank Reich. It’s not only the addition of Reich that will be impactful for Carolina but the coaching staff that he’s brought with him that has been raved about across the NFL. The staff includes Josh McCown and Jim Caldwell, both with a wealth of experience coaching or playing the quarterback position.
“And for me, I feel like it’s a great opportunity for me to work, for me to grow,” Young said. “This coaching staff really, really stuck out to me, honestly, throughout this process. Even in the short time that I had in the visits here and the short meetings that we were allowed to have, I was able to learn so much in that short time now, being able to be here 24/7, for this to be my job, and I’m super-excited for the growth I’m going to have to come to Charlotte.”
A new era is officially underway in Carolina, with high expectations of how quickly and far Young can lead the Panthers to a playoff appearance and, eventually, Carolina’s first Super Bowl victory.
Main Photo: Jim Dedmon – USA Today Sports
