Panthers predicted to put Bryce Young on the hot seat with NFL Draft pick

Early on in the 2024 NFL season, it was looking like the Bryce Young era may have already been over for the Carolina Panthers, as he was benched for Andy Dalton after Week 2.

However, Young later regained his job and was very impressive the rest of the way, entrenching himself as the Panthers' starter moving forward. He was particularly terrific over the final three games of the year, throwing seven touchdowns and no interceptions while also punching in three rushing scores.

That being said, the former No. 1 overall pick still has a whole lot to prove heading into 2025, and just because he had a good second half of 2024 does not mean he is Carolina's sure-fire franchise quarterback.

As a result, the Panthers may want to consider pursuing some insurance under center, and Pro Football Network's Ben Rolfe has Carolina making a rather intriguing selection in the NFL Draft to do so.

In a recent seven-round mock draft, Rolfe predicted the Panthers to take Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel in the fifth round. Gabriel actually finished third in Heisman Trophy voting this past year. He threw for 3,857 yards, 30 touchdowns and six interceptions while completing 72.9 percent of his passes.

Gabriel played for three different schools, beginning his collegiate career at Central Florida before transferring to Oklahoma after three seasons. He then moved on to Oregon in 2024.

The 24-year-old is viewed by some as a potential sleeper in this year's draft class, so it would certainly be interesting if Carolina takes him.

Of course, it wouldn't necessarily mean that Young's job would be in grave danger, but it would indicate that he would definitely have to live up to expectations in 2025.