Dave Canales gushes over Bryce Young's development at NFL Combine

The Carolina Panthers' decision-makers are in Indianapolis with the rest of the league at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine. While the focus during this event is on the rookie class, it's also a great opportunity for members of the media to ask members of the coaching staff and front office questions about the team as a whole.

For Carolina head coach Dave Canales, that undoubtedly meant he would be asked about the progress of quarterback Bryce Young, who is entering a critical third season. Young, who was benched at one point during his sophomore campaign, responded well to the adversity, and Canales applauded the progress he made.

“Each week, there was improvement,” Canales said via Michael Stamps of Alabama Crimson Tide on SI. “You can imagine if you could just get a one week better for a long time, how good you could become.”

In addition to his work on the field, Young impressed his head coach with the leadership he displayed. The head coach said this made a statement in the locker room, which helped Young gain the respect of his teammates.

“I got a lot of excitement, a lot of appreciation for the way that Bryce just took a leadership role in this too, and really made statements to his teammates in that locker room,” Canales said.

Even with the progress Young made, the Panthers have to fill several holes on both sides of the ball to take their next step. Landing an elite pass rusher is a must, but they also need more playmakers to build around Young. This week in Indy is the perfect opportunity to zero in on which rookies could offer that help.

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