Schefter: Bryce Young Will Be Panthers' Pick; C.J. Stroud Trying to Change Their Mind

What the Carolina Panthers will do with the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL draft remains up in the air, but the franchise may have effectively made up its mind already.

Alabama star Bryce Young is building a noticeable lead on Ohio State's C.J. Stroud.

Appearing on NFL Live on Wednesday, ESPN's Adam Schefter said he thinks Young visiting the Houston Texans is "a waste of time," adding: "The ship has sailed. I think Bryce Young is going to be the Panthers' No. 1 pick."

Schefter added Stroud "will come in on a visit, he will try to impress the Panthers officials, and I think try to change their mind about the No. 1 overall pick."

ESPN's David Newton reported Thursday that "multiple executive sources believe Young simply is the better player." Matt Miller of ESPN added that "every source polled this week believes Young has pulled back in front of Stroud," though he noted Young and Stroud "have serious support inside the building" at Carolina.

Answering a question about whether the Panthers would trade back down in the first round, The MMQB's Albert Breer cast doubt on the idea because they "see something pretty special" in Young.

"I think they also know even if someone came up to get [Ohio State star C.J.] Stroud, they'd then lose Young to Houston," Breer said. "So my sense would be that even though Carolina GM Scott Fitterer liked the idea of trading back again to pick up some extra capital, the logistics of the situation won't allow for it."

During an episode of First Draft on March 21, ESPN's Todd McShay cited one source who concluded Young was "already their guy at that No. 1 spot."

The general consensus appears to be coalescing around the idea as well.

Young was the choice for Carolina in Bleacher Report's newest mock draft. ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr., NFL Media's Daniel Jeremiah, CBSSports.com's Chris Trapasso and The Athletic's Diante Lee all made the same determination.

The concerns with Young stem largely from his 5'10", 204-pound frame. He's undersized for the position, and unlike Kyler Murray, he's not a dynamic runner.

Still, this is a quarterback who threw for 8,200 yards, 79 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in two full seasons as a starter. McShay has compared him to Patrick Mahomes because of how he can escape pressure in the pocket and turn nothing into something.

It's easy to see why the Panthers have potentially zeroed in on Young to be their franchise quarterback and lead a rebuild.