Panthers' Bryce Young Officially on Notice After the Draft Even If No One's Saying It

Since drafting him in 2023, the Carolina Panthers have tried and mostly failed to put a competent NFL roster around Bryce Young. The now-fourth-year quarterback hasn't had a good offense or defense in the NFL.

Give credit to Dan Morgan for at least trying to help Young out as much as possible. And to his credit, he's done a far better job in 2024, 2025, and 2026 than Scott Fitterer did in 2023. Still, it's taken some time for the Panthers to really get better.

Now, after the 2026 draft, the Panthers have officially put the young quarterback on notice.

It's now or never for Panthers QB Bryce Young

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) reacts in the fourth quarter | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

You may be wondering why everything falls on Bryce Young this season when the Panthers passed on drafting Makai Lemon or Eli Stowers to really help him out. After all, he still has an average run game and zero good tight ends to throw to.

Finally, though, the overall roster is in really good shape after the draft. The Panthers upgraded the protection in front of Young. Should Sam Hecht and Monroe Freeling win starting jobs as rookies, the line could be significantly better in 2026.

On the other side of the ball, the defense is the best its been in years. Adding Jaelan Phillips gives them a legitimate weapon off the edge. Pretty much every position group has been significantly improved.

The secondary is better with Zakee Wheatley on the roster. The linebacker room is so much better with Devin Lloyd, and even Jackson Kuwatch will be helpful. The defensive line is a stronger unit with Lee Hunter.

Now, it's generally not fair to put the onus on a quarterback to succeed when his defense is competent. Unless they're generating a ton of turnovers, it is hard to say a defense can really help a quarterback out all that much.

Carolina Panthers defensive end Derrick Brown (95) and cornerback Jaycee Horn | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

But field position, possession totals, and the turnover battle will be better for Carolina, and that will all help Young out. He still doesn't have elite weapons on offense, but the WR trio of Tetairoa McMillan, Jalen Coker, and Chris Brazzell is a solid top three.

The running game should be decent, especially if Jonathon Brooks is actually healthy and Chuba Hubbard returns to his 2024 form. The offense is in decent shape and the defense is honestly in great shape.

Either way, Young has the best offense he's had around him yet with the best defense on the opposite side. We've seen him thrive in worse conditions, so the Panthers are quietly putting him on notice, especially after picking up his option.

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