The Carolina Panthers were widely expected to go with one of the blue-chip defensive prospects at No. 8 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft. Dan Morgan had other ideas, throwing an early curveball with wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan instead.
According to legendary former Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly, this is the biggest vote of confidence imaginable for quarterback Bryce Young.
Luke Kuechly challenges Bryce Young to maximize his improved weapons
Kuechly outlined how everything is set up for Young to succeed during his latest appearance on the Up and Adams Show. He mentioned Jalon Walker as someone who got glowing reviews in the building. But McMillan's arrival, coupled with the other additions, means there are no more excuses for the signal-caller not to make significant strides in 2025.
"They're surrounding Bryce [Young] with guys upfront, guys outside. And then you bring in Rico Dowdle, you draft [Trevor] Etienne. The team is set up for Bryce to have a ton of success. Getting him back, and getting [Dave] Canales back, and the continuity moving forward from last year, I'm sure is going to be really good. So, could we have gone defense? Yes. Jalon Walker out of Georgia, he's so fun to watch, but for us to go offense, it just shows our confidence in Bryce and gives him every opportunity to have success."Luke Kuechly
The Panthers felt they could get better value with defensive prospects later in the process. That wasn't the case at wide receiver, so Morgan decided to get the best in this class outside of Travis Hunter.
Kuechly and the fanbase didn't have to wait much longer for reinforcements on defense. Carolina traded up in the second and third rounds for Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen to bolster the edge rushing room. Cam Jackson is a huge presence on the defensive line. Lathan Ransom adds another athletic body to the safety room.
Morgan felt this was a risk worth taking, even though he'll now have to deal with Walker twice a season after he was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons. The Panthers saw promise from Young at long last over the second half of 2024. Now, it's about giving him the tools to ensure this becomes something sustainable.
Young cannot be anything other than thrilled. Even so, with improved weapons come increased expectations. Delivering on them is critical if the Panthers want to drag themselves from irrelevancy and back among the contenders.
Kuechly laid it out simply. The pressure is on Young to produce after the significant investments made around him over the last two offseasons. And make no mistake, the time for half-measures and treading water is over.
The time to deliver on his promise has arrived entering Year 3 of his professional career. How Young performs will have huge ramifications for the organization and his future.
Let's hope everything goes according to plan.