Dan Wiederer: The Carolina Panthers made QB Bryce Young the No. 1 pick. Here’s why it matters to Ryan Poles and the Chicago Bears.
For the last four months, Bryce Young has stood in and taken the shots he knew were coming during the pre-draft process.
Not built to last in the modern-day NFL. Too short. Too slight. Too risky.
Young has fielded questions on his physical shortcomings and answered them with a “control what you can control” mindset. “It’s fair,” he said.
Young also took every opportunity he had — from interviews at the combine to his pro day workout at Alabama to visits at the facilities of the Carolina Panthers, Houston Texans and Las Vegas Raiders — to sell teams on his skills and his mentality.
On a stage Thursday night at Union Station Kansas City, Young got his “Welcome to the NFL” hug from Roger Goodell and took his pedestal as the top pick in the 2023 NFL draft.
There it was, at 7:17 p.m., the No. 1 selection.
The pick the Chicago Bears once owned was spent by the Panthers. For the 18th time in 25 years, the No. 1 player drafted was a quarterback, in this case a skilled and driven Heisman Trophy winner who could quickly become a leading candidate to challenge Jalen Hurts as the best
