Carolina Panthers 7-round 2025 NFL mock draft: Building around Bryce Young
By Dean Jones
Bryce Young looked down and out after his benching earlier this season. The Carolina Panthers took him out of the firing line after a woeful effort in Week 2 against the Los Angeles Chargers. Most thought this would be the end of his time with the franchise.
Young is made of sterner stuff.
While most players would have sulked their way to a different environment, the former No. 1 overall selection used this time to self-evaluate and progress accordingly. Young was also a model teammate, doing everything possible to help Andy Dalton and keeping the same mindset amid the chaos.
When the chance came for Young to start again, he was ready to seize the moment. The improvements were notable. His confidence increased exponentially and there was a comfort under center for arguably the first time. Although the Panthers didn't beat the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 12, the signal-caller went toe-to-toe with Patrick Mahomes to further raise optimism.
Carolina Panthers could build around Bryce Young in the 2025 NFL Draft
Head coach Dave Canales is starting to believe. Young's teammates are fully on board, with his post-game speech in the locker room after their last-second defeat versus the Chiefs demonstrating fully that he's a player who can lead this franchise back to prominence.
If the same trend continues over Carolina's remaining six games, a situation could emerge where the Panthers opt to build around Young rather than find another alternative during the offseason. That would be a remarkable turnaround considering how dismal things looked for the former Alabama star once upon a time.
Dan Morgan will be watching developments closely. The general manager is well-positioned to strengthen his roster this offseason. Molding a squad around Young represents the best-case scenario, especially with this year's quarterback draft class coming with questions attached aside from projected No. 1 pick Shedeur Sanders.
Using the Pro Football Network mock simulator, we took a look at how the Panthers could utilize their 2025 NFL Draft selections if those in power decide to build around Young rather than hitting the reset button.