Either Carolina Panthers team owner David Tepper, general manager Scott Fitterer, and coach Frank Reich have all the top NFL insiders fooled, or we’re finally getting closer to learning who the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft will be.
A top media member from NBC — Peter King, ESPN’s Chris Mortenson, and Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, all point to Alabama quarterback Bryce Young being the top pick on April 27.
Mort noted a belief that the Panthers will “stick with” Young while stating the final decision has yet to be made. Last week we heard King’s report that the former Crimson Tide QB has a “lot of fans” within Carolina’s organization. In his latest Football Morning in America column, King suggests the “momentum toward Young” going No. 1 overall is real.
Meanwhile, in Breer’s latest column from Monday, he admits to not knowing who the Panthers are picking but believes they are also headed toward selecting Young. Breer notes both team owners, David and Nicole Tepper, were on hand for Young’s throwing session at his Alabama pro day But they also had a front-row seat for C.J. Stroud‘s pro day at Ohio State too.
Breer’s final nugget includes Young reportedly performing well on the “S2” test, which is a cognitive test aimed at measuring processing speed. He adds that David Tepper reportedly puts a lot of weight into this assessment, which Joe Burrow and Justin Fields have measured well in on past occasions.
But, everyone will agree, they don’t know who Carolina will be selecting yet. They only have strong feelings that Young will hear his name called first by commissioner Roger Goodell. We’ll find out if the NFL insiders are right soon enough, later this month.
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