Carolina Panthers predicted to pair Bryce Young with another top-2 NFL draft pick

The Panthers should be looking to replace Andy Dalton with a younger backup quarterback.

MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA - DECEMBER 17: Zach Wilson #2 of the New York Jets looks on prior to a game against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on December 17, 2023 in Miami Gardens, Florida. / (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)

Carolina Panthers general manager Dan Morgan has a lot of work to do this offseason. First and foremost he has to fix a defense that allowed more points than any team in NFL history. That will include adding help at safety, defensive tackle, inside linebacker, outside linebacker, and everything in-between. Offensively we know that Bryce Young needs more weapons, but another low-key need is in the backfield, where 37-year old Andy Dalton is about to become a free agent again.

While it's clear that head coach Dave Canales and Bryce Young both think highly of Dalton, it would behoove the team to move in a younger direction at their backup quarterback spot. That means we might see them sign or draft somebody this offseason to play the understudy to Young. On that point,Ben Solak at ESPN believes they might find what they're looking for in Zach Wilson.

ESPN on Panthers-Zach Wilson

"The Panthers will run it back with quarterback Bryce Young in 2025 given his strong finish to the season, but they'd be wise to get another dice roll at QB2 if things go left for him. What about Zach Wilson, who is a free agent and plays a similar game to Young as an undersized, creative and mobile quarterback? He would be the right sort of gamble."

The fine print with Zach Wilson of course should mention that he's been terrible at the pro level since the Jets made him the second overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft. To name a few low points, Wilson has only completed 57% of his passes, he's gone 12-21 as a starter, he's thrown more interceptions (25) than touchdown passes (23) and has taken 113 sacks, more than a few of which were his own fault. His success rate is a dismal 37% as a passer and his career QBR is in the 30s.

Then again, Bryce Young was also pretty awful at the NFL level until recently, a reminder that sometimes top prospects need time to bloom into their full potential. Like Young, Wilson has more than enough arm talent to succeed at this level, and he's more than mobile enough to make defenses pay when they play man and a path opens to run.

It's also fair to mention that Wilson didn't exactly have an All-Star lineup around him and recent revelations have made it clear that the Jets' organization is officially even more dysfunctional than Carolina's. Bottom line, you wouldn't want to name him your QB1 of the future, but in the right situation it wouldn't be a surprise if Wilson did relatively well. Backing Young might be it.

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