What It Means:

The Panthers made a massive trade with the Chicago Bears to move up to the first overall pick early on during the pre-draft process, and have now officially selected their quarterback of the future in Alabama's Bryce Young. The 2021 Heisman Award winner should line up to be Carolina's starting quarterback come Week 1 of the 2023 season.

Young's Heisman-winning 2021 season saw him completing 66.9% of his passes for 4,872 yards, 47 touchdowns, and just 7 interceptions, but some were even more impressed by his 2022 season. While Alabama missed the 2022 College Football Playoffs, Young still threw 32 touchdowns to 5 interceptions despite losing all four of his top pass-catchers from 2021. His presence should help boost a Panthers franchise that has been searching for an elite quarterback since the end of Cam Newton's tenure there.