- Bryce Young saw his NFL Draft odds zoom to -2000 on Tuesday after reports that he cancelled his remaining pre-draft visits.
- The cancellation has been interpreted as a strong indication that he will be picked 1st overall in the 2023 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers.
- Carolina traded wide receiver, DJ Moore, two first-round picks, and two second-round picks to move up from 9th overall to 1st in next week’s Draft.
It looks like the Carolina Panther have made up their mind. Alabama’s Bryce Young is now a massive betting favorite to be the first player picked during next week’s 2023 NFL Draft.
According to the online sportsbook BetOnline, Young is the -2000 betting favorite to be the first player called on April 27th. Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud, who opened as the betting favorite, is currently a distant second at +800 odds with no other player having odds shorter than +1000.
Anthony Richardson and Will Levis have fallen further back at +1800 and +4000 respectively. Meanwhile, Will Anderson Jr., the -300 favorite to be the first defensive player selected in the Draft, is currently the +200 favorite to be the 2nd overall pick with Stroud next at +275 odds.
Stroud Appeared To Be The Top Pick, But Not Now
At one point, Stroud was -275 to go first overall because he fits the prototype quarterback that Carolina head coach Frank Reich has worked with in the past. At 6’3” and 214 pounds, Stroud doesn’t have the size issues plaguing Young who is 5-10 and 204 pounds.
It was only a month ago when it appeared that Stroud would be the Panther’s guy. Reich looked like a big fan when he attended Stroud’s Pro Day and the entire Carolina Panthers entourage went over to talk to Stroud after the session.
When Stroud began his throwing session, Reich was standing in the front row while taking photos and videos with his mobile phone.
CJ Stroud is going through his workout now with Carolina Panthers head coach Frank Reich very close by. @nbc4i pic.twitter.com/gdYo9whQW8
— Whitney Harding (@WhitneyNBC4) March 22, 2023
After the session, it wasn’t just Reich who met with Stroud but the entire Panthers’ top brass, including quarterbacks coach Josh McCown, offensive coordinator Thomas Brown, senior assistant Jim Caldwell, and team owner David Tepper.
But earlier this week, the odds started to shift in Young’s favor. Last Monday, Stroud was still at -130 odds at the top NFL betting sites with Young at -105.
On Tuesday morning, the Alabama QB skyrocketed to -1000 with Stroud dropping to +120 and Will Anderson at +160 odds. Before the day was over, Young’s odds moved to -2000 while Stroud’s price ballooned to +800 odds.
So, what changed since Stroud was a heavy favorite? After Young visited the Panthers earlier this month, multiple journalists reported that the Carolina top brass was leaning towards Young as the Top overall pick.
Bryce Young Cancels Remaining Pre-Draft Visits
The massive shift in betting odds came after Monday when NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported that Bryce Young had cancelled his remaining Pre-Draft visits. Pelissero hinted that it was another indication that the Panthers are preparing to make Young their top pick in next week’s NFL Draft.
While there is no questioning the abilities of the Alabama QB, one knock on him as an NFL franchise quarterback is his small frame.
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Bryce Young has canceled his remaining pre-draft visits—adding to the speculation that the Panthers are prepared to take him with the No. 1 pick. https://t.co/7bBSQP1J9V
— ThePanthersWire (@ThePanthersWire) April 18, 2023
Panthers General Manager Scott Fitterer told reporters that Young’s size “doesn’t seem to be an issue”, saying that a shorter quarterback will learn to evolve his game and adapt to see the field. Fitterer added that just like Stroud and Will Levis have evolved their game, so has Bryce Young.
The Panthers GM did mention that they will need to keep on working with Young’s weight while noting that he looked ‘bigger’ at the combine than he was in Alabama.
If Tuesday’s press conference was any indication, it does appear that the Panthers are confident that Young’s body can be improved to withstand the demands of a 17-game NFL regular season.
Panthers Trade Up
Carolina’s quarterback search began last month when they traded up to pick first overall in the 2023 NFL draft.
The Panthers were supposed to pick 9th in the Draft but they made a move to send wide receiver DJ Moore, the 9th and 61st picks of the 2023 NFL Draft, a first-round pick in 2024, and a 2025 second-rounder to the Chicago Bears.
Chicago earned the right to pick first overall after finishing the 2022 season with a 3-14 SU record. The Bears were set to pick 2nd entering Week 18 of the season.
But after the Houston Texans won their final regular season game against the Indianapolis Colts, Chicago ended up with the league’s best record and won the right to select first in the Draft.
With Chicago already sold on current quarterback Justin Fields, they were expected to trade the No. 1 pick. The Houston Texans, who own the No. 2 pick, were the +240 favorites to trade one spot up in the Draft.
But after the pre-draft workouts, it appeared that Houston was willing to take whoever the Bears do not pick – Young or Stroud.
That set up the opportunity for the Panthers, who were listed at +600 odds to trade up, to make their offer.
Carolina has missed the Playoffs over the last five years and has not won more than 7 games in a season during that span. They are a longshot (+6000) to win Super Bowl LVIII and are a -205 betting favorite to miss the Playoffs.
Carolina has been searching for answers for some time now. Four different quarterbacks have started at least five games for the team during over the last five season. The trade with the Bears gave the Panthers the opportunity to finally find its franchise quarterback.
