Bryce Young was the heavy favourite to go first overall in the 2023 NFL Draft, and there were no surprises as the Carolina Panthers selected the Alabama quarterback with the opening pick.
The Panthers traded up from the ninth pick in a deal with the Chicago Bears last month to have their choice of the top four quarterbacks in the class.
In recent weeks it became apparent Young had emerged as the frontrunner, and he will now be tasked with elevating a talented Panthers team back to playoff contention.
The Panthers have not had a winning season since the 2017 campaign.
Young experienced little other than winning during his time with Alabama, going 23-4 in two seasons as a starter with the Crimson Tide.
He finished his collegiate career with 8,356 passing yards, 80 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
Young thrived primarily because of his ability to navigate often chaotic pockets with consummate ease, also showing the ability to create throwing windows by moving defenders with his eyes.
A tremendous off-schedule playmaker, Young can make dynamic plays as a runner and throwing on the move, yet his improvisational playing style will have been a concern to some teams given he is undersized at 5ft 10in and 204 pounds.
Young's size arguably makes him a substantially increased injury risk, but the Panthers are betting on him to stay healthy and turn them into perennial contenders in the NFC South.
49ers rout Jets, ruin Aaron Rodgers' return
Jordan Mason filled in superbly for an injured Christian McCaffrey by rushing for a career-high 147 yards and a touchdown, and the San Francisco 49ers made Aaron Rodgers' return to the field a frustrating one with a dominant 32-19 season-opening win over the New York Jets on Monday.
The 49ers made McCaffrey inactive with a calf injury that limited the reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year in the pre-season, but still managed to bully New York's usually stout defence for 180 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
Mason did most of the work by logging 28 attempts, and San Francisco also received a rushing touchdown from wide receiver Deebo Samuel to win its first game since a tough 25-22 overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in last February's Super Bowl.
Rodgers threw a 36-yard touchdown pass to Allen Lazard, but struggled for much of his first appearance since rupturing his Achilles tendon in the Jets' 2023 opener. The four-time NFL MVP was held to 167 yards on 13-of-21 passing along with an interception that led to one of five field goals by 49ers kicker Jake Moody.
The 40-year-old quarterback did look like his vintage self on the Jets' third drive of the night, a 12-play, 70-yard sequence in which Rodgers completed 6 of 7 passes for 62 yards. Breece Hall capped the series with a 3-yard touchdown run that gave New York a 7-3 lead with 3:51 left in the first quarter.
New York's offence mostly sputtered from there, however, as the 49ers scored 23 consecutive points to move ahead comfortably.
After Moody hit a 51-yard field goal in the opening minute of the second quarter to get San Francisco within a point, the 49ers defence forced a three-and-out before Mason made his presence felt on the ensuing possession.
The backup running back rushed six times for 43 yards on the 12-play drive, which ended in Samuel's 2-yard touchdown run on a jet sweep that put San Francisco up 13-7 with 6:54 left in the first half.
Another three-and-out by the Jets followed by another long drive by San Francisco set up Moody's 31-yard field goal that sent the 49ers into the break with a 16-7 advantage.
San Francisco started the second half in much the same fashion, going 70 yards in 11 plays to increase its margin on Mason's 5-yard touchdown run.
Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles then picked off Rodgers on the following series, which led to Moody's 53-yard field goal that extended the lead to 26-7 with 3:28 left in the third quarter.
The Jets did answer on Rodgers' deep touchdown pass to Lazard on the next possession, though the 49ers stopped Hall on the resulting 2-point conversion try. New York's next drive again went nowhere, however, and Rodgers was pulled in favour of backup Tyrod Taylor with under 4 1/2 minutes to play.
San Francisco had a 32-13 lead at that point after Moody knocked home his fourth and fifth field goals of the game.
Lazard also caught a 3-yard touchdown pass from Taylor in the game's final minute, though the Jets again misfired on the 2-point attempt.
Moody's first field goal, a 46-yarder, opened the scoring just over four minutes into the contest. The kick came shortly after 49ers linebacker Fred Warner jarred the ball loose from Hall on a reception and San Francisco recovered at the New York 32-yard line.
Brock Purdy threw for 231 yards on 19-of-29 passing for San Francisco, while Lazard led the Jets with 89 yards on six catches in addition to his two touchdowns.
Rams WR Puka Nacua to IR, out at least 5 weeks
The Los Angeles Rams placed star wide receiver Puka Nacua on injured reserve Monday after he re-aggravated a right knee injury in Sunday night’s season opener.
Nacua will miss a minimum of four games. With the Rams’ bye Week falling in Week 6, the earliest Nacua could be back on the field is Oct. 20.
Nacua missed most of training camp due to a PCL sprain in his right knee. He re-injured the knee in the second quarter of Los Angeles’ Week 1 overtime loss against the Detroit Lions.
“It’s unfortunate for him, and I’m bummed out for the person,” Rams coach Sean McVay told reporters on Monday.
With Nacua missing the entire second half Sunday, Cooper Kupp was targeted 21 times and made 14 catches for 110 yards and a touchdown. Tyler Johnson finished second on the team in receiving with five receptions for 79 yards.
Johnson will be among the receivers asked to step up in Nacua’s absence, along with DeMarcus Robinson and rookie Jordan Whittington.
Nacua will miss division games against the Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers, as well as dates against the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers.
A fifth-round pick out of BYU last year, Nacua had arguably the best rookie receiving season in NFL history. Nacua set rookie records with 105 receptions for 1,486 yards in 2023.
Panthers defensive lineman Brown could miss rest of season
The Carolina Panthers not only suffered a 47-10 blowout defeat to the New Orleans Saints in their 2024 opener on Sunday, but they also may have lost Pro Bowl defensive lineman Derrick Brown for the remainder of the season due to a knee injury.
NFL Network reported Monday that Brown will undergo surgery to repair a meniscus injury, and a timeline to return will be determined following the procedure.
Brown was a bright spot for the league-worst Panthers last season, leading all NFL defensive linemen with 103 tackles and tying for fourth with six passes defenced to earn his first Pro Bowl selection.
In April, the seventh overall pick of the 2020 NFL Draft was rewarded with a four-year, $96million contract extension through the 2028 season.
Brown’s only missed game of his NFL career came in 2021. He’s started 64 of 67 contests while recording 248 tackles, eight sacks, two interceptions and 21 passes defenced.
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