2023 No. 1 pick Bryce Young aims to rebound, 'be the best version I can' for Panthers in 2024

It’s been just shy of a calendar year since Bryce Young was taken No. 1 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft.

As all sights are set on Detroit and the 2024 NFL Draft, in which USC quarterback Caleb Williams is presumed to be the next top pick, the Carolina Panthers quarterback is looking forward while hoping to learn from his rookie travails.

“I just want to be the best version I can,” Young said this week, via the team website’s Darin Gantt. “Obviously, we have a lot of change in the system. New coaching staff, a couple of new pieces. So, it’s going to be a great opportunity for us to grow and build together. But, I think as a team, individually, all combined, I think we learned a lot and grew a lot. Obviously, it was not the year we wanted to have last year. But, you know, you’re able to learn from those experiences.”

Young’s rookie experiences were predominantly negative, frequently escalating to unprecedented levels of struggle.

In 2023, as a starter, Young had a record of 2-14, missing one game due to an injury. He completed 315 out of 527 passes, a completion rate of 59.8%. He racked up 2,877 yards, averaging 179.8 per game, and made 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

Since 2000, 14 quarterbacks have been selected No. 1 overall and recorded at least 150 passing attempts as a rookie. In that time, Young’s 12.5 winning percentage was second-worst to only Jared Goff with the Rams, as he went 0-7 as a starter, per NFL Research.

His performance also raised historical alarms with his 10th ranked yards per game, 11th ranked passing yards per attempt at 5.5, eighth ranked TD:INT ratio, and an eighth ranked passer rating of 73.7.

Perhaps most worrisome was the 5-foot-10, 200-pounder took 62 sacks, second only to Sam Howell last season in the NFL and second only to David Carr among rookies since 2000. Carr’s 76 sacks taken remain an NFL record.

In an alarming choice of words for the Panthers, Young continually faced heavy attacks from opposing rushes.

Young’s finest showing statistically came in a 33-30 Week 16 loss to a red-hot Green Bay Packers squad. Facing a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter, Young spearheaded a pair of scoring drives, finding DJ Chark for touchdowns to lead to a 30-30 ballgame. A last-minute field goal lifted the Packers to victory, but Young tallied a season-high 312 yards and 110.0 QB rating, completing 23 of 36 passes, tossing the pair of TDs and finishing without an interception.

Despite the potential momentum to end the campaign on a high note, it disappeared as Young and the Panthers offense were unable to score in the last eight quarters of the 2023 season, resulting in consecutive shutout losses.

The Panthers stumbled to a 2-15 record, a struggle that coincided with Young’s.

Young is hardly accustomed to this football fate.

He won the 2018 CIF (California) State Football Championship Open Division title as a junior at Mater Dei. As a senior, his Monarchs fell short of a repeat, but he was the L.A. Times Player of the Year and California Gatorade Player of the Year after throwing for 58 touchdowns and 4,528 yards in 13 games.

He then proceeded to Alabama where he experienced further success both as an individual and as part of a team.

He was Mac Jones‘ backup on the 2020 College Football Playoff National Championship squad and a season later, while ‘Bama fell short in the title game, he won the Heisman Trophy.

After a high school and college experience where everything seemingly went smoothly, the situation in Charlotte was the complete opposite.

He’s already set to play for his third head coach in Carolina after Frank Reich was fired mid-season last year and replaced by interim head coach Chris Tabor.

As Dave Canales has taken the reins, it’s been so far so good for Young, whose emphasis is dually on settling in as a team leader along with improving his game.

“He said, “I’m ensuring that I hold myself accountable and responsible to keep us aligned. Last year, when I joined, I was eager to learn. Despite being the starting quarterback and a leader, I believed that there was a process for me to follow in order to learn, gain respect, and truly earn my leadership role.”

With Canales taking the head-coaching reins and Dan Morgan taking over at general manager, there’s newness throughout the building and the roster.

Therefore, even though it could be the second season ahead for the 2023 No. 1 overall pick, it is still a fresh start.

“We possess a team of individuals who desire accountability, who yearn for excellence and are committed to the minutest details,” stated Young. “Our main focus is establishing a culture that ensures these practices become a daily routine. Hence, nurturing this culture is of paramount importance to me.”

When the draft opens Thursday and the next No. 1 pick takes center stage, Young’s presence will hover. After all, the Bears own the pick after the Panthers traded up last year to take him at No. 1.

The year 2023 didn’t unfold as he or the franchise had anticipated. Regardless of it being April, he is determined to reassert his skills and capabilities that catapulted him into the spotlight not too long ago.

“Young said, “I aim to ensure that I’m the best version of myself. I want to keep evolving, become more adept with the system, take more responsibility, and develop as a leader.”