NFL Rumors: Bryce Young is 'Already' Panthers' 'Guy' with No. 1 2023 Draft Pick

Don't be shocked if the Carolina Panthers make Alabama's Bryce Young the first player off the board at this year's NFL draft.

ESPN's Todd McShay said on First Draft Tuesday that a source told him (10:00 mark), "Young is already their guy at that No. 1 spot. He's never been wrong. ... I think it absolutely comes down to C.J. Stroud and Young. It's not Anthony Richardson from Florida, it's not Kentucky's Will Levis. It's one of those two guys. I'm hearing Young, but Stroud seems to be a better fit for what Frank Reich is used to in the past working with quarterbacks."

All eyes are on the Panthers, who hold the top overall pick after swinging a trade with the Chicago Bears—the sort of move a team generally doesn't do unless they want to select a quarterback.

Which quarterback, however, is the question.

Young is a former Heisman Trophy winner who threw for 80 touchdowns and just 12 interceptions in his college career. There's little doubt that on the field he was dominant, and if he was 6'2" there'd be little doubt he was a deserving top overall pick.

But he's not. He's 5'10", and that has led to questions about whether he might struggle at the NFL level.

Not that Reich appears to be too concerned with his height, telling reporters Monday that he gave Russell Wilson a "very high grade" ahead of the 2012 NFL draft.

"Don't read anything into it," he added. "I'm just saying that because all these people are putting this label on me that I only look at big quarterbacks."

"I believe all four of these guys will make an impact in this league," he added of Young, Stroud, Richardson and Levis.

The latter three are all 6'3" or taller, more in line with the taller quarterbacks Reich has worked with in his NFL coaching career like Peyton Manning, Andrew Luck, Matt Ryan, Philip Rivers and Carson Wentz.

But ultimately, it comes down to the evaluation. If Young grades out atop Carolina's board, he'll be the pick. As we near April's draft, it sounds as though that might be the case.