New Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young is receiving plenty of praise for a heartwarming gesture during the early stages of Thursday’s NFL Draft.
As most expected, the Alabama product and 2021 Heisman Trophy winner was drafted first overall by the Panthers — who acquired the No. 1 selection from the Chicago Bears in a blockbuster trade one month earlier.
With the No. 2 pick, the Houston Texans selected Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud. As you can see in the clip below, Young was thrilled when he heard NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announce Stroud’s name:
Young’s reaction to the Stroud pick announcement led to some praise and compliments from the NFL Twitter world:
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It’s worth noting that the Panthers and Texans will actually play each other in 2023, as the NFC South clubs are scheduled to play the AFC South teams as per the NFL’s scheduling rotation and format. So assuming Young and Stroud open the season as the starting quarterbacks for their respective clubs, we shouldn’t have to wait long for their first showdown at the NFL level.
The Panthers haven’t reached the postseason nor recorded a winning record since 2017. The Texans have endured three straight losing seasons and are now on their third head coach, DeMeco Ryans, in as many years.
The easiest step to a quick turnaround in football is finding a new franchise quarterback. The Panthers and Texans each found a highly-touted prospect in round one on Thursday. Now we wait and see if they can both live up to expectations and help turn two struggling franchises around.
