4 major observations from Carolina Panthers 2023 pre-draft presser
By Dean Jones
How the Carolina Panthers can help Bryce Young
Bryce Young is considered by many to be a lock for the No. 1 overall selection. There was a monumental shift in betting odds in the player's favor on Monday, which came after he opted to cancel his remaining pre-draft visits having already met with the Carolina Panthers and Houston Texans.
General manager Scott Fitterer stated that the team had yet to inform Young he'll be the pick and didn't influence his decision to cancel meetings. However, the front office figure did highlight ways in which the Panthers could help the Heisman Trophy winner alleviate some ongoing concerns.
It's not so much Young's 5-foot-10 height that's the problem. The former Alabama stud's slender frame could be the biggest complication against imposing NFL pass-rushers, which Fitterer said needs to be a collective effort in pursuit of minimizing risks.
"I think nutritionally, we can do some things to educate him. Get him in the weight room. You can see, when you really look at his lower body, his lower body has gotten bigger. He’s put on a lot of mass down there. Lot of times, quarterbacks don’t wanna lift upper body because you get bound up. But there’s some things—he’s gonna naturally put on size as he ages as well. Guys just grow. That’s something he can control. That’s something we can help him with. We can’t control the height."
- Scott Fitterer via Panthers Wire
Given all the recent momentum, it would be a huge shock if the Panthers didn't take Young. Fitterer used Russell Wilson as an example a lot during the presser - a smaller quarterback who won a Super Bowl and became one of the league's best at the position.
Fitterer was an influential figure within the Seattle Seahawks war room when they took the plunge. Something that could occur again in a different environment.