Bryce Young shows Panthers exactly what they are getting in No.1 Draft pick

09 August 2023 , 13:42

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Bryce Young will make his first start for the Carolina Panthers in the preseason fixtures vs the New York Jets (Image: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

The Carolina Panthers have announced that Bryce Young, the number one overall pick from the 2023 NFL Draft, will make his first start against the New York Jets in the preseason game on Saturday.

Young's desire and determination have been evident during training camp, where he has shown a strong drive to impress his new coaches. The Panthers made a significant trade with the Chicago Bears to acquire Young, highlighting their belief in him as their quarterback of the future.

The 22-year-old now faces immense pressure to perform, but head coach Frank Reich has expressed confidence in his abilities. Despite some frustrations during training camp, including missed plays and penalties, Young's competitive nature and unwavering focus have impressed the staff, reports the Express US.

Reich emphasised that Young is his own harshest critic and expects nothing less than greatness from himself. He said: "He's really harder on himself more than anybody.

"A quarterback, you've just got to be unflappable. And I think we all know Bryce has that gene. Nothing really changes his pulse. But yet, he's the ultimate competitor, he's got that drive to be great. So that's what you want.''

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In addition to his on-field performance, Young has also displayed leadership qualities within the Panthers' dressing room. He voiced his disappointment with the team's training camp performance but acknowledged the need for resilience and the ability to bounce back from setbacks.

"As a competitor, we all get frustrated,'' Young said. "But we have to do a better job of bringing stuff back and really stepping back and making sure that even if it's not our day, for one period or one play, we're able to flip the script. We didn't do a good enough job of that today. But that's what training camp is for.''

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The Panthers invested heavily in acquiring Young, trading away multiple draft picks and star wide receiver DJ Moore. They are eager to see an immediate return on their investment but are also cautious not to overwhelm the young quarterback.

"I do have an idea (of how much involvement Young will get against the Jets),'' Reich said. "There is flexibility in the plan.

"There has to be. That's just being smart about it. We have a general idea how many plays we want to get through the whole preseason, but that can be adjusted by 10 or 20 percent depending on how things go.''

Panthers general manager Scott Fitterer echoed Reich's sentiments, adding: "We're not going to put him out there before he's ready. But he needs those reps.''

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Joshua Mbu