Panthers select Alabama quarterback Bryce Young with top pick of 2023 NFL draft

Quarterbacks dominated the first part of the NFL draft.

Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud and Anthony Richardson were among the top four picks Thursday night, an expected result in a league where teams know finding a franchise QB is the quickest path to success.

The Carolina Panthers selected Young, the slender and dynamic Alabama quarterback, with the No. 1 pick, seven weeks after making a blockbuster trade with Chicago to move up to get their choice.

The Panthers chose the 2021 Heisman Trophy winner over Ohio State's Stroud, Florida's Richardson and Kentucky's Will Levis. New coach Frank Reich said earlier in the week that the organization reached a consensus Monday after several weeks of deliberation.

"I learned so much in my short time there," Young said of his visit with the Panthers. "It is an amazing staff. You can tell there is an energy, focus, drive and will to win and I want to do what I can to earn the right to reach those team goals."

"You're our guy." <a href="https://t.co/QxLiktPtSm">pic.twitter.com/QxLiktPtSm</a>

Stroud didn't have to wait long. He went No. 2 to the Houston Texans, who then made a blockbuster deal with Arizona to acquire the No. 3 pick and selected Alabama edge rusher Will Anderson Jr.

"I can't wait to play with Will," Stroud said. "I hope he doesn't hit me too hard in practice."

Richardson then went at No. 4 to the Indianapolis Colts, who will begin a sixth straight season with a different starting QB.

A dual-threat playmaker with a strong arm and an elite combination of instincts and intelligence, Young also possesses the intangibles and characteristics coaches desire, including leadership ability and a strong work ethic.

But the biggest question about Young is his size. He measured at 5-foot-10