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Carolina Panthers GM recaps meeting with Bryce Young after Alabama Pro Day
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Carolina Panthers general manager Scott Fitterer walked away very impressed with Bryce Young.
Fitterer was one in a large contingent of Panthers personnel who flew to Tuscaloosa Wednesday night after attending CJ Stroud’s pro day at Ohio State to meet with Stroud’s biggest competition for the No. 1 overall pick in next month’s NFL Draft.
Panthers owners David and Nicole Tepper, Fitterer and assistant GM Dan Morgan, vice president of football administration Samir Suleiman, head coach Frank Reich, senior offensive assistant Jim Caldwell, offensive coordinator Thomas Brown, quarterbacks coach Josh McCown, and several others were at the Hank Crisp Indoor Facility on Thursday for Young’s Pro Day performance.
They attended dinner with Young the night before.
Fitterer had good things to say.
“He held court,” Fitterer said, per Panthers team reporter Augusta Stone. “He was so well-spoken, so well thought-out. When he talked about his preparation, when he talked about how he studies, how he sees the game, he’s at a different level. He’s already at that NFL level, which is great to see.
“Nothing’s too big for him. Like, he can walk into any environment and be in total control. At 21 years old, if I walked into a restaurant, sat around with a bunch of 40, 50-year-old men, it’d be a little intimidating. Instead, he just sat there and asked us questions. We asked him questions. … Just a really, really solid person.”
Alabama head coach Nick Saban has been stressing the same thing for weeks — that Young’s mental approach to the game is special. Young’s size has prompted questions, but his day on Thursday was met with positive reviews.
“Thought he was very fluid, very poised,” Fitterer said, per Stone. “Ball came out of his hand nice and easy — plenty of arm strength. I think, overall, he managed to do well.
“Saw a lot of good things out of him. Very in control, very poised. It’s just like you thought it would be. I know I heard comments around me, like, ‘Hey, his arm is better in person than I thought,’ (from) coaches that had only seen tape. That’s from other teams, but it’s always good to hear things like that.”
The Panthers hold the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. With the Combine in the rearview and pro days wrapping up, we’re approaching misinformation season in the NFL.
The Panthers could start putting out smokescreens about their intentions to keep teams behind them guessing and maybe even prompt a team like the Houston Texans to offer up a package to move up to No. 1 if they feel like Carolina is after their guy. ESPN’s Todd McShay — on hand for Young’s pro day — reported on Thursday that he’s “heard buzz” that Carolina likes Young at No. 1.
We’ll find out soon enough.
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
