NFL draft rankings place Bryce Young in the middle of recent QB picks

Where does Carolina Panthers QB Bryce Young rank among those who also got selected (or definitely will) in the first round of the NFL Draft? This is a question one NFL insider asked and answered as the offseason rolled on.

Leading up to Young, the QBs were in order starting at one: CJ Stroud, Jayden Daniels, Brock Purdy, Jordan Love, Trevor Lawrence, Bo Nix, Caleb Williams, and Drake Maye. Young came in ninth out of 20 from the last five drafts.

CBS Sports' Chris Trapasso said, "We need a '30 for 30' on Young pre-2024 benching and afterward because they felt like completely different quarterbacks. Like, not the same guy whatsoever." Young was benched after a disappointing rookie campaign and two horrid weeks in 2024.

Jan 5, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) passes against the Atlanta Falcons during the first half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

"Afterward, he played very much like a passer who deserved to be a No. 1 overall pick. Now, even in those positive moments down the stretch for the Panthers, you still wonder how someone so small without big-time traits was selected over Stroud," he said. "Young looked stretched to the limit mentally and physically, but the football was mostly arriving on time and on target. His overall 2024 sack rate dipped to 7.0% from over 10% as a rookie.

Trapasso ranked Young ahead of Michael Penix Jr., Cam Ward, Justin Fields, Shedeur Sanders, Mac Jones, Will Levis, Anthony Richardson, Zach Wilson, Kenny Pickett, JJ McCarthy, and Trey Lance. He thinks Young would've been dead last on this list before his stunning resurgence in 2024.

It's hard to fault the placement of Young here, as there weren't too many egregious players ranked higher. Talent-wise, Young will eventually pass some of them, but for now, the production argument leans to the other players.

Still, Young absolutely would've been ranked very low had he been benched and didn't come back better or didn't come back at all. He was trending towards historic bust territory, but he turned it around and then some.

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