The Panthers haven’t said that Byrce Young will be the No. 1 overall pick. Nor has Carolina told the Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback of its plans. And yet, Young has canceled his remaining pre-draft visits, which general manager Scott Fitterer attempted to sidestep when asked by reporters about the communication between the two sides on Tuesday.
Scott Fitterer said Panthers have not told Bryce Young he’s the pick. Said Young’s decision to cancel his last visits was made by Young and his reps.
— Joe Person (@josephperson) April 18, 2023
While Fitterer is coy and trying not to tip his team’s hand, it’s increasingly likely that Bryce Young will be the No. 1 overall pick. Experts tend to think so, and so do the betting markets, And while Fitterer insisted that there is clarity on the selection, as of Tuesday, the Panthers are still going through the process.
Scott Fitterer said there is clarity on the No. 1 pick but they are still going through the process. He says there’s been no communication to Bryce Young about him being the pick. #Panthers
— Mike Kaye (@mike_e_kaye) April 18, 2023
The NFL tries to drum up the drama surrounding the first overall pick until Commissioner Roger Goodell announces the selection next Thursday, but without saying much, Fitterer said a lot.
“Nutritionally, we can do some things to educate him. We get him in the weight room,” Fitterer said via The Athletic’s Joe Person. “You can see when you look at his lower body, his lower body’s gotten bigger. He’s put on a lot of mass down there. A lot of times, quarterbacks don’t want to lift the upper body because they get a little bit bound up. But there are some things, he’s going to put on the size as he ages as well naturally.”
Fitterer knows a thing or two about drafting quarterbacks with size concerns. He was Seattle’s college scouting director in 2012 when the Seahawks elected to select Russell Wilson, who measures similarly to Young.
“Again, going back to Russ, I think he came out at — he might have been 206 pounds. He’s at 220 now,” Fitterer continued. “Guys, just grow. That’s something (Young) can control and it’s something we can help him with. You can’t control the height.”
Fitterer is under no obligation to reveal what the Panthers will do with their pick. Though, did he hint that Carolina may already have a plan for Young, which may be just enough to connect the dots.
