Schefter: Bryce Young 'Favorite' Over C.J. Stroud for Panthers' No. 1 Draft Pick

After trading up for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft, the Carolina Panthers have to decide who to select from a strong crop of quarterbacks.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Carolina is eyeing Bryce Young over the likes of C.J. Stroud and Anthony Richardson.

"I think going into the process of evaluating the quarterbacks, I think that Bryce Young is the favorite to become the No. 1 overall pick," Schefter said Thursday on NFL Live.

Young is one of the top talents at the quarterback position in this year's draft class. However, B/R's NFL scouting department listed him as the No. 3 quarterback behind Stroud and Richardson in its latest draft big board.

Schefter said he isn't predicting Young will be selected first overall, explaining that he believes this situation is similar to when the San Francisco 49ers traded up to the No. 3 pick in the 2021 draft:

"Let me say it this way: I think Bryce Young is to the Panthers what Mac Jones was to the 49ers when they traded up. They traded up with the idea that they really liked Mac Jones, and then they went through the process and wound up on Trey Lance. I think in this particular case, this team moved up with the idea that Bryce Young was a guy that they loved. They also really like C.J. Stroud, he's definitely got support within the organization, and we'll see what transpires during the course of evaluations. But I think at the beginning of the process, it starts out with Bryce Young as the favorite."

Young won a national championship as Alabama's backup quarterback in the 2020 season and then won the 2021 Heisman Trophy. He has some detractors because of his 5'10", 204-pound frame, but he's proved he can find success from inside the pocket.

Stroud also has a highlight reel proving his prowess as a signal-caller, and he's coming off an impressive showing at the NFL Scouting Combine.

It seems like Carolina can't go wrong with either Young or Stroud, but drafting its quarterback of the future is a monumental decision that the franchise won't take lightly.