The Carolina Panthers moved heaven and Earth for the right to select Bryce Young with the first-overall pick, and the Alabama product has justified that investment so far. It’s obviously too early to make any sweeping declarations about his career, but the rookie has impressed coaches, players, and reporters alike during OTA’s.
Bryce Young Impressing Early at Panthers OTA’s
Panthers OTA Takeaways
Obviously, the most important thing is on-field results, and Young has performed admirably against the defense in practices. While veteran quarterback Andy Dalton took the first snap of OTA’s, Young saw quite a few reps with the first team and reportedly performed well when running the offense.
Panthers’ first OTA ends with Adam Thielen making a sweet, one-handed snag of an Andy Dalton pass. Dalton got the first snaps with the 1s today, although Bryce Young got the majority of them.
— Joe Person (@josephperson) May 22, 2023
Perhaps his most impressive play of the game was the one he didn’t make. Adjusting to life in the NFL is not easy, as playbooks and formations are far more complicated. Fortunately, Young appears to be ahead of the curve here, as he reportedly fixed an incorrect play call. You don’t want to put too much stock into on-field performances, seeing as nobody is practicing at full speed and there’s no way to truly simulate a game experience. This, however, is a tangible example of Young’s incredible football IQ, and this should translate to the field.
Andy Dalton said Bryce Young noticed one of the plays on the script today was written up wrong. Mentioned it and got it corrected.
— Joe Person (@josephperson) May 22, 2023
Impressing reporters is one thing, but Bryce Young also managed to impress Panthers head coach Frank Reich. Speaking to reporters following the practice, Reich said that Young’s command of the offense was a “10 out of 10…you could tell the way he was seeing it, the way he was working through progressions, accuracy in the throw, ball placement of the throw, it was all very good.”
When Will Bryce Young Start for the Panthers?
The Carolina Panthers signed Andy Dalton before they secured the first-overall pick, but they likely knew they were going to take a quarterback in the 2023 NFL Draft even before they made their big move. At the time, the team likely believed that Dalton could serve as a short-term starter while Carolina waited for their first-round quarterback, whoever that may be, to be ready for the starting job.
However, now that we’re seeing Young in action and performing well against NFL competition, it feels like it won’t be long before the rookie officially wins the starting job. Dalton will keep the role for a little while, and perhaps the quarterback battle carries over into the preseason, but Young should have the Week 1 job locked up by the time the season starts.
Some may worry about the Panthers throwing Bryce Young into the fire, but recent history suggests that elite quarterback prospects are more than capable of learning on the fly. Trevor Lawrence began his career in the worst situation imaginable, yet he came out of that as one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. Justin Herbert, meanwhile, set the world on fire from his first start and remains elite despite a constantly-rotating coaching carousel.
Bryce Young will probably endure some growing pains whenever he earns the Panthers starting job, but the team should embrace the highs and lows of a rookie quarterback. Andy Dalton is a fine quarterback, but he lacks the upside to elevate a team. Young has that ceiling, and with the Panthers easy schedule, he might be able to lead the team to a surprise playoff trip.
