NFL personnel share concerns about Panthers' Bryce Young

Concerns many had about Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young long before he turned pro still hover over the first pick of the 2023 NFL Draft early into his rookie season. 

"He feels small when you watch him; it doesn't take much for him to go down," an unnamed "high-ranking" NFL personnel official said about Young while speaking with Jeremy Fowler of ESPN for a piece published Tuesday.

Young famously measured at 5-foot-10 1/8 and weighed 204 pounds at this year's scouting combine, but Fowler noted the 22-year-old is probably closer to 194 pounds today. Panthers general manager Scott Fitterer acknowledged this past spring he'd likely have to bolster the team's offensive line to keep the undersized signal-caller healthy but found himself up against it before the official start of fall. 

As ESPN's David Newton mentioned back on Sept. 13, Carolina starting left guard Brady Christensen will miss the rest of the season with a biceps injury Christensen suffered in Week 1. Starting right guard Austin Corbett is recovering from a torn ACL and will be on the physically unable to perform list until at least Week 5.

Young, meanwhile, watched this past Sunday's 37-27 loss at the Seattle Seahawks from the sideline because of an ankle injury he picked up the previous Monday night. Needless to say, questions about his durability aren't going anywhere anytime soon. 

"He has nowhere to throw the football," one personnel official said about Young. "He's got major leaks around him and is in for a long year if the things working against him don't get fixed."

It was thought this past spring that Young isn't as fast as Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray, who is listed at 5-foot-10 and 207 pounds and who has dealt with multiple injury setbacks throughout his pro career that began in 2019. Young took six sacks over his first two NFL starts and failed to wow evaluators with his escapability during those contests. 

"Just because you're mobile at the college level doesn't mean you're mobile at the NFL level," one league executive said. "[Young] can't turn the corner on a defensive end."

Young thus far has completed 42-of-71 pass attempts (59.2%) for 299 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. He added 51 rushing yards over five carries in his first two games, but nothing about his stats will ease fears related to his long-term health until he shows he can survive at least half of an NFL season.