Bryce Young throwing vs. pressure is all the proof you need he's ready to thrive in NFL

Originally posted on Carolina Panthers on SI
By Tim Weaver | Last updated May 30, 2025 9:18 AM ET

After returning from a six-week stint on the sidelines last season, Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young looked like a completely different competitor than the one we saw in his rookie year and in his first two atrocious starts in 2024.

Thee were a lot of technical things Young improved on, but above all else he appeared to be far more confident and calm in the pocket, which helped him finally unleash the talent that made him a No. 1 overall draft pick in the frist place. Young was especially impressive throwing against pressure, as this cut-up from Jacob Gibbs on Twitter shows.

Bryce Young vs. pressure in 2024

Every positive dropback vs. pressure (as measured by EPA) https://t.co/MM57DIYy9v pic.twitter.com/f1kJphxABX
— Jacob Gibbs (@jagibbs_23) May 29, 2025

Modern quarterbacks have to know how to play on schedule and go through their reads, but the ability to create plays outside of structure is becoming an increasingly indispensable part of competing at this level. Young of course thrived in this area during his time at Alabama - it just took a little while for it to shine through in the NFL.

Young's deep passing numbers were also remarkable - especially late in the season when he was hooking up with Adam Thielen for explosive gains on a regular basis. You can also see from the chart above that he was accurate on short throws when kept clean last season.

The next step for Young is developing his mid-range game - and that's a big reason why the Panthers brought in Tetairoa McMillan with the eighth overall pick. His size and ability to make contested catches should help boost Carolina's passing game in this department, which has been largely absent the last couiple of seasons.

This article first appeared on Carolina Panthers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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