Are the Carolina Panthers genuinely spilt between C.J. Stroud and Bryce Young?

ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler hinted that there could be a genuine split between C.J. Stroud and Bryce Young for the Carolina Panthers' pick at No. 1 overall. 

Not a day passes where there isn't some hot take or raging debate about what the Carolina Panthers are planning from atop the draft. The suspense is killing fans are driving most on social media into a frenzy as they fight their corner for the quarterback of choice, but nothing has been confirmed one way or another as yet. 

The Panthers are gearing up for a big week where they will bring in the consensus top-four quarterbacks for top-30 visits. This is the final chance each will have to impress influential figures within the organization before the big night. 

At this stage of their assessments, it's hard to say how much these visits will move the needed. Everyone in the building has their favorite, one would think, so coming to a formal outcome might be the trickiest part of all. 

Carolina Panthers could be split between Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud

Rumors and speculation are all anybody not heavily involved in the process can rely upon right now. And according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN - who asked at least 20 NFL personnel figures - the Panthers could be genuinely split between Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud currently. 

"I asked at least 20 NFL personnel people on this, and the votes are essentially split between Alabama's Bryce Young and Ohio State's C.J. Stroud. There might be a slight edge to Young, but it's still too close to decipher who the true favorite is right now. The Carolina Panthers have done a stealth job holding the suspense, and only a few people in their building truly know the name that's going on the draft card."

- Jeremy Fowler, ESPN

There's been a growing belief that the Panthers are leaning toward Young despite concerns about his durability. Although a recent revelation from Tony Pauline of Pro Football Network stated that Frank Reich could be banging the table hard for Anthony Richardson and his generational athletic upside. 

This is all about risk versus reward. Stroud might be the safest option as the best pure passer in this class, but Young's magician-like qualities and elite-level processing might be a difficult proposition to turn down when push comes to shove. 

Fowler also said that David Tepper's influence and love for analytics might prove decisive in the eventual conclusion Carolina makes at No. 1 overall. There are so many mitigating factors keeping everyone guessing, which is exactly what the Panthers want at this juncture with a little over a fortnight remaining in the process. 

As I've stated numerous times, there is no wrong answer between Young and Stroud. Both prospects come into the NFL with Day 1 starting potential and the Panthers have everything in place to make this an environment in which they can immediately excel. 

Anyone not happy with either prospect is pushing their personal agenda without looking at the bigger picture. After so much personnel mismanagement at football's most prestigious position under the old regime, that seems understandable. 

Even if it should not detract from the luxury Carolina gave themselves by making their bombshell trade with the Chicago Bears.