Panthers GM: Didn’t tell Young that he’ll be No. 1

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Carolina Panthers general manager Scott Fitterer made it clear Tuesday that Alabama quarterback Bryce Young has not been told he will be the top pick of the NFL draft.

Fitterer’s comment came 24 hours after Young canceled the rest of his pre-draft visits. Carolina has the No. 1 pick when the draft begins April 27.

“That was a decision he made on his own,” Fitterer said at the team’s pre-draft news conference. “I just refer you to his reps and to Bryce as to the why.”

With speculation intensifying that Young will be the top pick over Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud, Fitterer also made it clear that Young’s size (5-10, 204 pounds) will not be a factor.

Fitterer reminded everyone that he was in Seattle in 2012 when the Seahawks selected 5-11 Russell Wilson in the third round and that Wilson had only three balls batted down at the line of scrimmage his final year at Wisconsin. He then noted Young had only two this past season.

“This doesn’t seem to be an issue,” Fitterer said of Young’s height. “When you grow up a shorter quarterback, you learn how to evolve your game and adapt and see the field. He’s done that.”

Stroud, who was at Bank of America Stadium for his pre-draft visit Tuesday, was considered the early favorite to be the top pick because, at 6-3, he more closely resembled every quarterback new Carolina coach Frank Reich has worked with over the past 17 years.

Reich has never had a starting quarterback under 6-2.

But over the past few weeks, with Reich insisting Young’s height wasn’t a factor and many draft analysts agreeing Young was the better quarterback in large part because of his ability to process, momentum has shifted to the 2021 Heisman Trophy winner from Alabama.

Fitterer reiterated that he still hasn’t asked Reich whom he would select but said he believes they’ll be on the same page once he does ask.

“The reason I didn’t want to ask [Reich] that question was I didn’t want to close off our minds to where we, like, made that decision back in March,” Fitterer said. “But we do see things the same way. We value the same traits, the same characteristics. There’s certain things we really want, and that’s where the clarity comes from.”

Fitterer said the team continues to discuss all four quarterbacks — Young, Stroud, Kentucky‘s Will Levis and Florida‘s Anthony Richardson — brought in for pre-draft visits.

But a source close to the situation told ESPN midway through the process that Young and Stroud were the two quarterbacks being considered for the top pick and recently reiterated that that hasn’t changed. The source also said those were the two quarterbacks the Panthers were most focused on when they traded with the Chicago Bears to move from the ninth pick to first overall.

“I’d hate to be at 9 right now trying to figure this out,” Fitterer said. “So I know we made the right decision to go up there. The next step is going to be execution on draft day and giving these guys the resources they need beyond that to be successful.

“This is a big decision for the organization. We don’t want to lock on to something early on just to decide that’s our guy. We want to keep this process open all the way through.”

Fitterer also said he wasn’t looking to trade out of the pick — something he left open a month ago — but added that the Panthers will “always pick up the phone and listen.”

The only drawback on Young all along has been his size, but his overall frame and weight could factor into durability.

“Nutritionally, we can do some things to educate him,” Fitterer said. “When we get him into the weight room, you see when you really look at his lower body [that] he’s gotten bigger. He’s put on a lot of mass down there.

“A lot of times quarterbacks don’t want to lift upper body because they get a little bound up. But he’s naturally going to put on size as he ages.”

Fitterer said Wilson was around 206 pounds in 2012 and has bulked up to the 215-220 range.

“That’s something he can control, something we can help him with,” Fitterer said of Young.