The Panthers traded up in the 2023 NFL Draft intending to select a quarterback. It was just a matter of which passer they would prefer.
Speculation in the immediate aftermath of the trade indicated that Ohio State's C.J. Stroud would be Carolina's preferred choice.
However, it appears that Alabama's Bryce Young is still very much in the mix for the No. 1 overall pick.
NBC Sports' Peter King reported in his "Football Morning in America" column that "several influential voices" within the Panthers organization favor Young. That may include quarterbacks coach Josh McCown, who "reportedly told friends he loved Young."
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King cautioned that the pick "will be a collaborative choice" between Frank Reich's coaching staff and Scott Fitterer's front office. He believes that could make Young more likely to be the No. 1 pick than some may believe.
Frank Reich is not one to brawl about players, even one as important as this one. He’s a consensus-seeker. I think he likes Young, and likes him a lot. I just don’t know if he likes him more than Stroud. But if he favors Stroud, and if the majority of the influencers inside the Panthers love Young, I believe Reich will be okay with picking him.
The reason that Stroud had been the expected No. 1 pick target since the Panthers traded up was because of his prototypical size.
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Reich has been a coach at the NFL level for 17 years. During that time, he has started a quarterback 6-4 or taller in all but six games. Thus, that was considered the biggest tiebreaker between the 6-3 Stroud and 5-10 Young.
However, two anonymous NFL sources explained to King that they believed Young's height wasn't a major disadvantage for him as a prospect.
"Just watch Young," a coach told King. "When I watch tape, I don’t see size [concerns]. He doesn’t play small."
So, if Reich concurs with that statement and the Panthers' front office prefers Young to Stroud, that could be enough to convince the coach to select the Alabama product.
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There is still plenty of time for Carolina to make its decision, so the Panthers can weigh the pros and cons of each passer until the draft begins on April 27.
That said, while Stroud may have a stranglehold on the betting odds to be the No. 1 pick, he's not guaranteed to be it just yet.
