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QB-only mock draft sees Bryce Young land with Super Bowl contender, but that's not good

Bryce Young went almost all the way at the end of the QB mock draft.
Oct 8, 2023; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Lions defensive end Romeo Okwara (95) nearly sacks Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) in the end zone in the third quarter at Ford Field. Okwara forced Young into an intentional grounding penalty on the play. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images
Oct 8, 2023; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Lions defensive end Romeo Okwara (95) nearly sacks Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) in the end zone in the third quarter at Ford Field. Okwara forced Young into an intentional grounding penalty on the play. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images | Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

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If there were an all-QB NFL draft between all 32 teams, which essentially is just a hypothetical way to rank QBs and see where they'd end up, Bryce Young would not be a Carolina Panthers player. The Panthers, a bad team, would pick high, and Young did not go high in this mock from CBS Sports.

He did land with a genuine Super Bowl contender and one of the NFC's best teams, but that only means that he's not viewed as a good quarterback. Of course, age and other factors do play a small role here, but CBS essentially said Young is the 28th-best QB in the NFL, which is brutal and definitely inaccurate.

Bryce Young gets terrible spot in all-QB NFL mock draft

If the NFL re-drafted all quarterbacks, CBS Sports insider Cody Benjamin believes the Panthers would ironically end up with C.J. Stroud, the QB they could've taken over Bryce Young in 2023, at six overall. Young fell all the way to 28th to the Detroit Lions, who arguably would be a fantastic spot for him.

"The beauty of the Lions offense is that the quarterback really just needs to be able to distribute the ball. The line is solid and the weapons are elite, from Jahmyr Gibbs to Amon-Ra St. Brown, making the infrastructure incredibly friendly," Benjamin said.

He also argued that Dan Campbell's greatest strength might be instilling belief in his players, which would really benefit Young overall. "[He] may not possess game-breaking size or physical traits, but [he] has shown improved composure and boasts big-game experience from his college days. Motor City could be the spot where he truly soars."

Bryce Youn
Lions defensive end Romeo Okwara tackles Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) during the second half at Ford Field in Detroit on Sunday, Oct. 8, 2023. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

This is good for Young, because throwing to Amon-Ra St. Brown, Sam LaPorta, and Jameson Williams would be great for him. Having a good defense on the other side and two dynamic running backs would help, too.

It's hard to focus on that positive when Young got so brutally disrespected by the overall landing spot. Benjamin ranked him ahead only of Tyler Shough, Anthony Richardson, Cam Ward, Joe Flacco, and Russell Wilson. That's just plain hurtful.

Benjamin also, by and large, believes that Justin Fields, Tua Tagovailoa, Aaron Rodgers, Michael Penix Jr., and J.J. McCarthy among some eye-opening names. Those in particular loom large, because there's really no argument to be made for them over Young at this point.

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Zach Roberts
ZACH ROBERTS

Zachary Roberts is a journalist with a wide variety of experience covering basketball, golf, entertainment, video games, music, football, baseball, and hockey. He currently covers Charlotte sports teams and has been featured on Sportskeeda, Yardbarker, MSN, and On SI.