NFL Draft Rumors: Bryce Young Cancels Remaining Visits amid Panthers, No. 1 Pick Buzz

Alabama star Bryce Young appears to be very confident he won't fall past the Houston Texans in the 2023 NFL draft.

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported Monday that Young has canceled his remaining team visits ahead of the draft. He has only met with representatives for the Texans and Carolina Panthers so far.

Neither has established a firm lead over the other, but Young and Ohio State's C.J. Stroud are widely expected to be the first two quarterbacks off the board. The general consensus has Young landing in Carolina as well.

ESPN's David Newton reported last Thursday that "multiple executive sources believe Young simply is the better player." Matt Miller of ESPN echoed that account when he said "every source polled this week" thought the 2021 Heisman Trophy winner edged in front of Stroud.

Two days earlier, ESPN's Adam Schefter said on NFL Live the Panthers traded up to No. 1 pick with the idea of not only selecting a quarterback but also with Young as their preferred target. Carolina wasn't dead set on him, but he was the team's early favorite.

Schefter doubled down Wednesday when he said meeting with the Texans would be a "waste of time" for Young because the Panthers have basically made up their minds.

Of course, there's still more than a week for Carolina to have an about-face and come around on Stroud. If that happens, you'd still like Young's odds of getting picked by the Texans, but that may not be a foregone conclusion.

The Athletic's Dane Brugler reported Monday that "there isn't a unanimous belief among the Houston coaches that available quarterback will be worthy of this pick."

Still, you wouldn't have expected Young to cancel his remaining predraft visits if he had any inkling he might wind up anywhere but Carolina or Houston.