Panthers' Bryce Young Shows Flashes vs. Giants as Fans Blame OL for Team Struggles

Bryce Young didn't thrive in his limited play during Friday's preseason game against the New York Giants, but his offensive line didn't do him any favors.

Young finished 3-of-6 for 35 yards while taking one sack and leading the Panthers to a field goal in two drives.

This was the sort of protection he was working with:

He also made some quick, sharp reads, leading to big plays:

After his short appearance, social media was quick to point out the issues the offensive line had during the contest while generally absolving Young:

Granted, not everybody was willing to put all of the onus on the offensive line after his brief appearance:

The Panthers have chosen to take their lumps with the top overall pick heading into the 2023 season, and in many aspects he seems ready for the NFL level. More than one report this summer has come out describing the Alabama alum's maturity and poise.

What will be concerning, given his sleight frame, is if he's consistently getting hit and banged up behind a mediocre offensive line. On Friday night, it was an obvious concern.

When teams consider starting a rookie quarterback, they are weighing the benefits of that player gaining immediate on-field experience against the concern of them getting beat up and developing bad habits if there isn't a solid roster in place around him.

The plan coming into Friday night was to rotate offensive lineman in and out of the game, which may have contributed to some of the issues from that unit. Add in a solid Giants front seven and Wink Martindale's pressure defense, and there was always a possibility that Young was going to be under some heat.

He didn't wilt. He didn't produce in an exciting manner either, but he avoided the sort of costly turnovers that can kill a team. That's a good sign, even in just two series of work in a preseason game.