Carolina Panthers hit the reset button (again) in 2025 NFL mock draft

Benching Bryce Young was a big call for the Carolina Panthers. It paid off almost instantly after Andy Dalton inspired a much-needed success at the Las Vegas Raiders where the offense looked like the productive unit head coach Dave Canales envisaged upon taking the job.

This was also a damning indictment of how much hard work Young faces to get back into the team's good graces. It's been a disastrous start to his professional career. Last season could easily be blamed on the toxic environment he walked into. There were no such excuses this time around. Canales saw that and reacted with conviction to prevent any dissension within the locker room.

Speculation continues about Young's long-term future with the Panthers. It doesn't make much sense to trade the Heisman Trophy winner unless an offer they can't refuse comes along. It's a different story during the offseason if those in power are not satisfied by the signal-caller's development.

Carolina would be looking for another long-term solution once again just two years after making Young the No. 1 overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft in this scenario. Not ideal, but the Panthers won't hesitate to pull the trigger if they feel like a better direction can be taken.

The new regime - besides general manager Dan Morgan - wasn't around when Young was drafted. Those who reportedly wanted C.J. Stroud are long gone. If a quarterback from the college ranks catches their eye, serious discussions will be had.

Carolina Panthers select Carson Beck in CBS Sports' 2025 NFL mock draft

This was a sentiment echoed by Josh Edwards from CBS Sports in his latest mock draft. The analyst had the Panthers picking at No. 1 overall despite their impressive victory in Week 3. They used it on Georgia's promising signal-caller Carson Beck.

"The Panthers have made the decision to bench former No. 1 overall selection Bryce Young. Two seasons would usually be too early to toss in the towel on an investment of that magnitude, but future outlook is pretty bleak. It may be in the franchise's best interest to admit it is a sunk cost and move on."

- Josh Edwards, CBS Sports

It's a tricky predicament. The Panthers have too many holes right now. Dropping a rookie quarterback into this set-up and expecting him to perform miracles could bring the same results. Build a team before focusing solely on the quarterback position.

There are plenty of moving parts here. Perhaps Young shows signs of life and gets another go-around. Perhaps the Panthers win too many games to even get into the quarterback discussion atop the draft. Perhaps Carolina looks like a win-now team and goes after a veteran who could help them over the hump.

Morgan's always claimed this was a retool rather than a rebuild. One win doesn't lessen the skepticism surrounding this notion. A few more might, so it'll be interesting to see if the Panthers can build on this newfound positivity with some winnable games upcoming on the schedule.

One could make a strong case for the Panthers identifying an edge rusher from an exceptional-looking class. Adding another cornerback capable of locking down one side of the field opposite Jaycee Horn is another option. Maybe a wide receiver prospect could be the play. There's just no telling for sure.

Either way, things don't look especially promising for Young right now. If that leads those in power to Beck or someone else, fans just have to get behind him and hope the Panthers have a better plan in place than they implemented with the former Alabama star.

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