While Carolina Panthers tight end Hayden Hurst may not know exactly who the Carolina Panthers will be selecting with the first overall pick in the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft, it sounds like he’s ready to welcome them with open arms.
As the Panthers prepare for their NFL Draft selection later this month, Hayden Hurst reveals that he’s ready to be the “best friend” of the team’s new quarterback.
“Tight ends are always a quarterback’s best friend,” Hurst said according to Augusta Stone of the Carolina Panthers team website. “Especially [for] a rookie coming in, you want that reliable guy in the middle of the field, where your vision is. Obviously, you need the guys on the outside, too, to make your life easier. But if you can have that reliable guy where you know he’s going to be somewhere within 10 yards or going down the middle of the field, and just put it up, that’s why I came here.”
The Panthers will likely select either Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback C.J. Stroud with the No. 1 overall pick or Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Bryce Young. But either way, it sure sounds like that young quarterback will have the full support of Hurst.