With the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Carolina Panthers select…
Bryce Young's name will be called very early come April 27 by a team that will be lucky enough to have the Alabama passer. Young has gone through the ringer during the pre-draft process, with debates about his size taking over praise for his talent.
There should be no debate about the latter. Young played with some of the best of the best during his college days, and it resulted in a Heisman trophy, a national championship appearance and being named The Sporting News college football player of the year in 2021. That's a resume that'll hang with each and every one of the quarterbacks coming out.
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Of the top five teams in the draft, three — the Panthers, Texans and Colts — will be looking for a franchise passer. Those three make very good fits for Young, but none of them are perfect fits.
Here's why:
Bryce Young best NFL Draft fits
Panthers
Why it works: The Panthers moved to No. 1 overall presumably because they knew Young, who was the top QB prospect entering his draft cycle, was the answer for them. They have good reason to believe that, too.
Frank Reich has gotten the most out of the quarterbacks he's had throughout his career. Whether that was Philip Rivers in his San Diego years, Carson Wentz with the Eagles, or Andrew Luck and the group of veterans he had to wade through during his time in Indianapolis.
Reich is as respected an offensive mind as there is in the NFL, which will bode particularly well for Young should he land in Carolina. Reich's west-coast offense roots, coupled with a strong running game, should make the transition pretty seamless for a new quarterback. It also helps that Carolina signed Andy Dalton this offseason, as he has been a good teammate to other young QBs around his recent stints.
Why it might not: The Panthers should hope that their middle-of-the-pack offensive line continues to trend upward, and their new skill position group meshes well. That said, Adam Thielen (on the back 9 of his career), D.J. Chark and Laviska Shenault aren't exactly striking fear into the hearts of defenses, no matter who is playing quarterback.
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Texans
Why it works: Davis Mills won't post a long-term threat to Bryce Young, nor will Case Keenum, who the Texans signed this offseason. That said, both would be a viable option to start ahead of Young in the meantime, if the Texans feel so inclined.
Houston is a bit lacking in true skill position talent outside of Dameon Pierce, but a reunion with former Alabama teammate John Metchie III could provide Young a bit of comfort and chemistry this upcoming season.
Why it might not: With new head coach DeMeco Ryans pilfering some offensive minds from Kyle Shanahan's staff (Bobby Slowik followed Ryans from San Francisco to become Houston's OC), Young may be in good hands — but as we've seen with the Jets and countless other examples in recent years, that’s no guarantee that a prospect will work out.
MORE: Why Bryce Young is drawing Russell Wilson, Drew Brees comparisons
Colts
Why it works: Continuing the two-way pipeline between the Colts and Eagles, Shane Steichen came from Philadelphia, partly because of the way he helped Jalen Hurts develop. That alone makes Indianapolis a good fit.
The term "quarterback whisperer" is thrown around a bit loosely, and it's unclear if that's exactly who and what Steichen will be as a head coach.
There's a good chance Young doesn't slide until the fourth pick, but they should run up the card if he's somehow available in that spot.
Why it might not: The Colts haven't done a lot to shore up their skill position groups this offseason. Still led by Michael Pittman Jr., the Colts don't have the most threatening group of receivers for Young to work with. The offense will still probably run through Jonathan Taylor, but they'll need to surround Young with legit offensive talent to work with.