When the Panthers traded up to the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, it was known that they would take a quarterback. It was just a matter of which prospect they would choose.
In the immediate aftermath of the trade, many believed that Ohio State's C.J. Stroud would get the nod for the team. He had the size and vertical passing skill set that figured to fit well into Frank Reich's offense, after all.
However, as the draft drew nearer, it became increasingly clear that Bryce Young was the apple of Carolina's eye. Sure enough, the Panthers made the Alabama product the draft's No. 1 overall selection once it finally came time to make the pick.
Young has shown good flashes at times during his career to date, but many are wondering exactly why he ended up being the Panthers' selection. That question is less related to Young's upside and is more about Stroud's success after the Texans took him No. 2 overall.
MORE: Bryce Young vs. C.J. Stroud stats through the midpoint of the NFL season
So, what went into Carolina's decision to select Bryce Young? Here's what to know about the Panthers' choice atop the 2023 NFL Draft.
Why did the Panthers draft Bryce Young over C.J. Stroud?
The Panthers drafted Young over Stroud for a simple reason. They had been more impressed by Young during their evaluation of the quarterback position.
As general manager Scott Fitterer explained to Panthers.com, the organization was in lockstep that Young was the right pick. So, once they got the No. 1 overall pick, they zeroed in on Young as their target.
"The fact was, we felt so strongly about the quarterback this year, right?" Fitterer explained. "Like, even in our February meetings, where every scout had the same opinion on this guy. It never really changed. It just kind of held strong that way, right? That reinforced that we're doing the right thing."
The Panthers' choice was a sensible one. Young was viewed by many to be either the best or second-best quarterback in the 2023 NFL Draft class. He had prolific production at Alabama and won the Heisman Trophy in 2021 after throwing for 4,872 yards, 47 touchdowns and seven interceptions or the Crimson Tide.
Young was small at 5-10, 202 pounds, but he possessed great mobility, a pro-level arm and elite accuracy and ball placement. That projected him out as a Russell Wilson-type at the NFL level.
While the Panthers had an inkling that Young would be their guy, the team still did homework on all of the other potential first-round quarterbacks. That included Stroud, Anthony Richardson and Will Levis, among others.
But as Fitterer explained to Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio, Young helped to differentiate himself when dining with the Panthers brass before his Pro Day.
“You feel the presence of the player, just like the command that they have,” Fitterer said. “As he’s sitting there at dinner, he was so poised and you’re like, ‘OK, if I put this guy in a huddle,’ if Frank and I saying, ‘This is the guy, we’re putting him in the huddle, game’s on the line.’ Bryce is the guy we want our players looking at, knowing this is the guy that can get it done for us.
"We can win with this guy. And I think that’s kind of where that social part overlaps in the football side when you get to know the person and not just the player."
Beyond that, Panthers owner David Tepper came away impressed with the depth of knowledge that Young had about his opponents from the previous season. That led Tepper to believe that Young was a true film junkie, much like another one of the Panthers' all-time great players.
"I looked at Frank's face, like, what? Who watches the tape that much?" Tepper said. "Now, I've seen this before only one time in my time around football. One person that will look at everything and study like that. Not only are you smart, and you have the fast processing speed, but you're putting in the time to know the other team that well, OK. Now, the only other person that I know like that is Luke Kuechly. So that's when you realize what you're talking about with Bryce Young.
"The leadership, the hard work. It's great to be smart. But if you don't put in the work, that much detailed work, to know that sort of stuff. That's special, though."
With all that said, it's easy to understand why the Panthers selected Young. And while the decision hasn't yet paid off, there is still plenty of time for the Alabama quarterback to turn into a high-level pro.
MORE: Could the Panthers fire Frank Reich?
Bryce Young stats 2023
Young's rookie season with the Panthers has not gone well to date. He has led the team to a record of just 1-6 in his seven starts and has struggled to consistently get the ball downfield behind a shaky offensive line.
Below is a look at Young's stats from the 2023 NFL season.
| Stat | Total |
| Record | 1-7 |
| Comp. % | 63.9 |
| Passing yards | 1,375 |
| Pass TDs | 8 |
| Yards per attempt | 5.5 |
| INTs | 7 |
| Passer rating | 77.1 |
| Carries | 17 |
| Rushing yards | 117 |
| Rush TDs | 0 |
It should be noted that Young doesn't exactly have a lot of support. Adam Thielen is his only proven receiving weapon and his offensive line has been porous and banged-up this season. So, that helps to explain some of his issues.
Still, Young hasn't read the field as well as many had hoped, and he had a three-interception game against the Colts in Week 9. That included two pick-sixes that he threw in the direction of Kenny Moore II.
Young will also need to throw the ball downfield a bit more to raise his below-average mark of 5.5 yards per attempt. Perhaps that will happen as he becomes more accustomed to the league — or as rookie second-round pick Jonathan Mingo gets more involved with the team's offense.
MORE: Full list of rookie quarterbacks to start an NFL game in 2023
C.J. Stroud stats 2023
Unlike Young, Stroud has been prolific to start his career in Houston. The No. 2 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft has posted one of the best starts to a career in NFL history and looks like a shoo-in to win the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year award.
Below is a look at his stats through nine weeks.
| Stat | Total |
| Record | 4-4 |
| Comp. % | 62.0 |
| Passing yards | 2,270 |
| Pass TDs | 14 |
| Yards per attempt | 8.1 |
| INTs | 1 |
| Passer rating | 102.9 |
| Carries | 20 |
| Rushing yards | 68 |
| Rush TDs | 1 |
Stroud's completion percentage is a bit lower than Young's, but he has the Panthers quarterback beaten in just about every other category. Most notably, his passer rating ranks fourth-best in the NFL, behind only Brock Purdy, Tua Tagovailoa and Kirk Cousins.
Stroud also had arguably the best start by a rookie QB in NFL history in Week 9 against the Buccaneers. He threw for a rookie-record 470 yards and five touchdowns while leading the Texans to a last-second, 39-37 win over Tampa Bay.
If Stroud continues to play like that, there will be more chatter about why the Panthers passed on him at No. 1 overall. And that's fair to question considering that Stroud's college performance was every bit as good as that of Young.
But as it stands, both quarterbacks are still just halfway through their rookie seasons. There is plenty of time for each to continue progressing; and when it's all said and done, both could end up becoming NFL stars.
