:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72187435/usa_today_19703637.0.jpg "Peter King draft rumors: Bryce Young favorite to be first pick by Panthers in 2023 NFL Draft")
The 2023 NFL Draft is closing in rapidly, as we have just a week and a half until teams have to make their final decisions. The biggest question of the draft appears to not be much of a question anymore, as Alabama QB Bryce Young appears locked in to the No. 1 draft slot, per Peter King.
Right after the Carolina Panthers traded up with the Chicago Bears for the top spot, the rumor mill churned out Ohio State's QB CJ Stroud as the pick over Young, despite Young being the heavy favorite going into the combine. But, the fact that Frank Reich was a tall QB and has always utilized tall QBs while coaching, pushed the narrative toward Stroud. There was never any real reporting that the Panthers were sold on Stroud, but it was an easy direction for post-combine/trade storylines.
King has learned that “Bryce Young is (no pun intended) head-and-shoulders in the lead to be the first pick in the draft.” This makes sense when you take into account that the more knowledgeable draft evaluators leaning that way the whole time.
The question remains, as long as Young is gone with the first pick, will the Houston Texans take Stroud with the second pick. There has been some reporting that they don't love Stroud, but King believes they will be hard pressed to bypass him with that second pick.