Shedeur Sanders, Panthers' Top QB Options in 2025 NFL Draft After Bryce Young Benched

The Bryce Young era in Carolina may be over.

Following the Carolina Panthers' Week 2 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, head coach Dave Canales announced that the team had benched the 2023 No. 1 pick in favor of veteran Andy Dalton.

The team has gone 2-16 with Young as the starter, and he has thrown for 3,122 yards with 11 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. The Panthers gave up a haul for the chance to draft him, including a first-round selection that turned into the No. 1 pick in 2024, and now another restart at the position could be coming.

While Young may get another chance this season, the fickle history of owner David Tepper could signal that the team will hitch its future to another top signal-caller in the 2025 NFL draft.

If that's the case, here are some of the best options.

Carson Beck

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LEXINGTON, KY - SEPTEMBER 14: Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Carson Beck (15) passes the ball during the college football game between the Georgia Bulldogs and Kentucky Wildcats on September 14, 2024, at Common Wealth Stadium in Lexington, KY. (Photo by Jeffrey Vest/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Carson Beck is in his fifth season in the Bulldogs program and his second as the team's starter.

In 2023, he threw for 3,941 yards with 24 touchdowns and six interceptions while leading Georgia to a 13-1 record and an Orange Bowl victory.

He has continued that torrid pace for the Bulldogs in 2024, leading the team to a 3-0 record thus far while throwing for 680 yards and seven touchdowns. His tests will come with the meat of the SEC schedule and where the cards fall in terms of the College Football Playoff bracket.

However, if he continues to play well, his body of work should make him a top option in April's draft.

Shedeur Sanders

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FORT COLLINS, COLORADO - SEPTEMBER 14: Shedeur Sanders #2 of the Colorado Buffaloes looks to pass during the first quarter against the Colorado State Rams at Canvas Stadium on September 14, 2024 in Fort Collins, Colorado. (Photo by Andrew Wevers/Getty Images)

Shedeur Sanders is in his second season as the Colorado Buffaloes starter and has continued to show potential.

He threw for 3,230 yards with 27 touchdowns and three interceptions in 11 games for Colorado in 2023. This only translated to a 4-8 record for the team, but the early returns in 2024 could be promising.

Colorado is 2-1 and about to approach the brunt of the Big 12 schedule. Sanders has thrown for 999 yards with nine touchdowns and two interceptions and will hope to build on that against better competition.

Sanders may be a splashy option for Carolina if it gets a high draft pick, but his willingness to go there could be doubtful. His father and Colorado head coach, Deion Sanders, told Million $ Worth of Game that his son would pull an "Eli" in order to secure a better situation.

The Panthers' recent history would not engender confidence in the situation, so that certainly could be an option. Still, he is one of the more talented options coming out and could bring some buzz to the franchise.

Quinn Ewers

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AUSTIN, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 14: Quinn Ewers #3 of the Texas Longhorns warms up before the game against the UTSA Roadrunners at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on September 14, 2024 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)

The Panthers also could turn to Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers if he continues to flash his talent.

Ewers led the Longhorns to the College Football Playoff in 2023 after throwing for 3,479 yards with 22 touchdowns and six interceptions. He has continued that pace in 2024, leading Texas to a 3-0 start and throwing for 691 yards and eight touchdowns.

He went down with an injury in Week 3 and is questionable for Week 4 with an oblique strain. While this likely won't end his year or cause him to miss significant time, it's still a concerning trend as he has dealt with an injury in all three of his seasons as Texas' starter.

However, he could be playing deep into the 2024 season due to the loaded Longhorns roster and will have plenty of exposure prior to the draft. This could make him an intriguing candidate for the Panthers.

Cam Ward

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MIAMI GARDENS, FL - SEPTEMBER 14: Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward (1) makes a pass attempt during the game between the Ball State Cardinals and the Miami Hurricanes on Saturday, September 14, 2024 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. (Photo by Peter Joneleit/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Cam Ward nearly entered the 2024 NFL draft but opted to head to Miami to compete for the Hurricanes. So far, that has been an excellent decision.

Ward has thrown for 1,035 yards with 11 touchdowns and just one interception while leading Miami to a 3-0 start to the season. This includes a dominant victory over in-state rival Florida, and his previous play at the collegiate level shows that he is up for the task.

He threw for 6,968 yards with 48 touchdowns and 16 interceptions across two seasons for Washington State in 2022 and 2023 and previously had dominated at FCS Incarnate Word, where he won the 2020 Jerry Rice Award as the best freshman at the FCS level.

He will hope to lead Miami to an ACC championship and a berth in the College Football Playoff. If he does this, he could hear his name called very early in the draft, and the Panthers very well may be the team that makes that selection.