Bryce Young could soon compete with another Alabama alumni member as NFL Draft expert Mel Kiper predicts that the Carolina Panthers will select quarterback Jalen Milroe in 2025.
The Panthers are 1-7 this season, and Young hasn’t performed as expected since Carolina used its first-overall pick on the quarterback in 2023. Young has already been benched for veteran quarterback Andy Dalton this season but has been reinstated as a starter for the Panthers.
Carolina head coach Dave Canales is keen for Young to continue gaining experience in the NFL, but due to their projected finish this season, it’s likely that the Panthers will select another top quarterback prospect from a stacked 2025 class. Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders and Georgia’s Carson Beck are already being considered as the top picks, but Alabama’s Milroe fits Carolina according to Kiper.
“We dont know exactly what the Panthers offense will look like in 2025,” Kiper wrote. “But Andy Daltons respectable play indicates that theres a solid offensive framework in place. The offensive line has intriguing parts.
“Xavier Legette has shown promise as a rookie. And a committee of running backs has generated solid results (and we havent even seen Jonathon Brooks yet). Milroes dual-threat ability could flourish in this situation.
“He has the arm strength to push the ball vertically. And can dial up heaters on slant routes to Legette and tight end Tommy Tremble. Unlike Bryce Young, Milroes ability as a runner with his 6-foot-2, 225-pound frame would open up the offense and provide an immediate spark.”
Experts believed in 2023 that Young would be well-suited to the NFL, but it now appears as though the front office may have made a mistake as C.J. Stroud went second overall to the Houston Texans and won Offensive Rookie of the Year last season. The Panthers can’t afford to select the wrong quarterback again, and according to Kiper, Milroe is the correct pick.
Young will now be challenged with proving himself between now and the end of the season to show the Panthers that he doesn’t need to be replaced. Young’s task has become tougher after wide receiver Diontae Johnson was dealt in a trade to the Baltimore Ravens.
Johnson felt “relieved” when going from the 1-7 Panthers to a genuine Super Bowl contender, with the Ravens 5-3. “Once I found out where I was going, I was excited,” Johnson said after completing the trade. “Sigh of relief. Im ready to work.”
Despite his excitement to leave Carolina, Young was impressed with Johnson’s work rate and holds nothing against the wide receiver. “Just the drive he has, the wiliness to compete,” Young said of Johnson. “He is someone who always wanted to be his best throughout training camp or games. He was always giving his all. I have nothing but love for him.”
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