In advance of Panthers-Seahawks, Pete Carroll heaps praise on Bryce Young
Panthers quarterback Bryce Young, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 draft, has had a rough start to his career. That has not kept the head coach of his next opponent, Pete Carroll of the Seahawks, from going full Lou Holtz.
“He’s the best player in America," Carroll told reporters on Wednesday, regarding Young's draft status. "He’s got great instincts and savvy and playmaking and confidence and all of that stuff or they wouldn’t have done it. . . . I expect him to be terrific. If he’s the guy out there playing, then we expect him to be able to do a lot of stuff. He’s a very natural athlete, a really gifted athlete so he can move really well and create stuff. Those guys always cause problems.”
He might not be the guy playing, due to an ankle injury.
Since the Seahawks had the fifth pick in the draft, they looked closely at the high-end quarterbacks, including Young.
“That was a great experience," Carroll said. "I enjoyed the heck out of that, getting to see the guys and getting to talk with them. It did give us insights into the guys. He was just overall the most productive performer. He had control of the game and did so many things so naturally. [He’s] so smart and so tuned into the game. He was just really impressive. There was a huge decision for those teams to figure him out. I can see why they took him first. He’s a winner, he’s a champion, he’s won at every level, he’s always been great. And you expect that to happen here in the league too."
Maybe it will, in time. The early stages have been rough. Via ESPN Stats & Info, Young is averaging only 4.2 yards per attempt in his first two starts. That's the third lowest YPA for a players first two games, with a minimum of 50 total attempts.
