Not so long ago, most NFL scouts thought Alabama’s Bryce Young was a lock to be the first-overall pick in the upcoming NFL Draft.
He had -240 odds to be the first guy taken off the board, even with Florida’s Anthony Richardson (+380) having better odds than C.J. Stroud.
Now, with the Carolina Panthers trading a draft haul to land the Chicago Bears’ first-overall pick, it seems like Stroud is the new oddsmakers’ favorite to be the first-overall pick.
The Ohio State product now has -300 odds, followed by Young (+300) and Richardson (+450), so they might know something the rest of us don’t.
It’s evident that the Panthers are quite high on one of these prospects.
Otherwise, they wouldn’t have given up such a massive haul to move up.
And that doesn’t seem like a surprise for NFL analyst Chris Simms, who believes that the film also backs up Stroud’s case for being the first guy out there.
The film says CJ Stroud too. And good for the Panthers for making the move to be a position to get who they want. They were in no-man's land at #9. https://t.co/0kzGtZcLXA
— Chris Simms (@CSimmsQB) March 13, 2023
Most scouts think that, while Young is the smartest and most accurate prospect, his physical limitations might put him in a tough spot in the NFL.
He dominated the SEC almost at will for two seasons at Alabama, but at 6’0” and way below 200 pounds, he could be one hit away from a career-ending injury.
As for Stroud, he’s proven to be a privileged athlete in an NFL-ready offensive system.
He’s a dual-threat prospect that can make plays with his feet and his arm and is an elite playmaker at every level of the field.
So, it seems like the Panthers have finally found their guy.
NEXT: 1 QB Prospect Is The Betting Favorite To Go No. 1
