We could see four quarterbacks selected in the top 10 of this NFL Draft, but who will go No. 1 overall?
Ryan Poles, the general manager for the Chicago Bears, did not want his franchise under the pressure, so he traded the No. 1 overall pick to the Carolina Panthers. C.J. Stroud of Ohio State has received a lot of conversation to be the No. 1 pick, and Anthony Richardson’s NFL Combine performance has draft pundits in love with him to be No. 1. Marcus Spears, an ESPN NFL analyst, played defensive end in the Southeastern Conference for Louisiana State University. He has watched Bryce Young of the University of Alabama dominate the best conference in college football for two years. Young stands at 5-10 1/8″ and weighs 204 pounds, but he became the first Crimson Tide quarterback to win the Heisman Memorial Trophy in 2021.
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He set single-season school records in 2021 and led the Tide to an SEC Championship. Young endured adversity last season with a shoulder injury, but he carried Alabama to an Allstate Sugar Bowl victory over Kansas State. He ranks second all-time for career passing yards (8,356), touchdown passes (80), and total touchdowns (87) for the Tide. Spears sees the talent of Stroud, Richardson, and Will Levis (Kentucky), but he says Young is the “clear” favorite to be the No. 1 pick.
Bryce Young is @mspears96‘ “clear” favorite for No. 1 overall 🤝 👀
“What I’ve watched from Bryce Young tells me he’s the best QB coming out in this draft. … I think this year may even speak more to who Bryce Young is than his previous year.” pic.twitter.com/UQMD3F9pXt
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) March 21, 2023
Carolina is in a tough situation as Frank Reich (head coach) likes Stroud, but David Tepper (owner) likes Young.
Young will participate Thursday in Alabama’s Pro Day.
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Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
