Bryce Young's unfortunate Panthers' reality highlighted by 2025 NFL mock draft

Bryce Young's future is more precarious than ever. His second NFL starting opportunity in Week 8 at the Denver Broncos went as most anticipated. There were some nice moments, but nothing consistent enough to suggest he'll be part of the Carolina Panthers' long-term plans.

Dave Canales tried to fix Young. The head coach ended this experiment quickly, benching him after two games as he appeared to enter self-preservation mode. Had Andy Dalton not injured his thumb during a car accident, the former Alabama star would have been on the bench versus Denver.

Regardless of what happens between now and the season's end, the Panthers will be looking for another signal-caller in 2025. This will be someone hand-picked by the new regime to compete with Young or send him to the fringes permanently.

Carolina Panthers find Bryce Young's replacement in 2025 NFL mock draft

This was a sentiment echoed by Sayre Bedinger from NFL Spin Zone, who focused on Young's unfortunate reality as the Panthers took a quarterback at No. 1 overall. The choice? Colorado prospect Shedeur Sanders.

"The unfortunate reality for 2023 1st overall pick Bryce Young is that new head coaches often come with new quarterbacks for NFL franchises. It wasn’t Dave Canales who hand-picked Bryce Young coming out of Alabama. The former Heisman winner has really struggled to keep his head above water in the NFL and obviously even with him getting another chance this weekend, it’s going to take a miraculous turnaround to prevent the Panthers from making a change. Shedeur Sanders has drawn some comparisons to Geno Smith (the good stuff, obviously) for his pocket presence and ability to distribute the football with accuracy and timing."

- Sayre Bedinger, NFL Spin Zone

Regardless of whether the Panthers are a quarterback away or not - which was a mistake made by previous general manager Scott Fitterer - those in power will analyze every prospect coming out. It's hard to say for sure which way they'll go at this early stage and with so many other holes to fill, but Canales will bang the table hard for his guy.

Unless there's a dramatic surge forward in this fractured relationship, that won't be Young. If the Panthers have genuine conviction in Sanders or someone else, they won't hesitate to pull the trigger.

While the needs at edge rusher, the defensive line, and cornerback are obvious, nobody would move the needle like a quarterback. And for all Carolina's faults this season, the offensive line is a positive. That's a solid platform from which to build - something Young wasn't afforded during his critical early transition.

There's a long way to before Morgan begins molding his potential draft shortlist. The front-office leader is probably more concerned with stockpiling assets before the 2024 trade deadline at this juncture. Even so, it won't be much longer until the focus turns to the draft.

Sanders has the talent, there's no getting away from that. Rumors remain about whether father Deion Sanders will make things difficult and hand-pick his son's destination, but he's one for the shortlist.

What that would mean for Young is anyone's guess. But let's just say the signs aren't too promising.

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