Jaycee Horn on how Panthers QB Bryce Young is getting the ball out quicker in 2024

Carolina Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn has seen first-hand how much faster Bryce Young's release is at practice.

Tim Weaver | Sep 4, 2024

Dec 17, 2023; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) with cornerback Jaycee Horn (8) after the game at Bank of America Stadium. / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

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Carolina Panthers

While it's true that C.J. Stroud landed in a far better situation as a rookie than Bryce Young did, there's no denying who's the superior quarterback heading into their second season. Young still has plenty of time to catch up, though - even coming off a dismal 2023 campaign for himself and an Offensive Rookie of the Year award for Stroud.

For their part, the Carolina Panthers did go out of their way to make life easier on Young, including significant upgrades to their offensive line, wide receiver corps and running back room. However, the greatest improvement will have to come from Young himself.

A large part of the requisite work will require Young to play more decisively and throw the ball with more anticipation. While the offensive line certainly played a role, Young bares a good bit of responsibility for taking 62 sacks last season. Good news: Young has made strides in this part of his game, as well as others. Here's what cornerback Jaycee Horn had to say about Young's quicker release time this year, per Kassidy Hill at the team website.

Jaycee Horn on Bryce Young's quicker release:

"I remember the first couple of practices when I noticed it, like (Bryce) was throwing it before they got out of their breaks... Like (Monday), he threw an out route to Tae (Diontae Johnson) and I just broke damn near before Tae and the ball, but just as soon as he got his break, it was just right there. So, I had no time to make a play on it."

The goal that first-year head coach Dave Canales has set for his young quarterback is to get his release time down to 2.7 seconds, which would be quite an accomplishment.

Overall, we have seen promising signs from Young this offseason that suggest he's going to take a big step forward in his production. The numbers support that idea, as ESPN is projecting that Young will complete 4.7% more of his passes, throw for 654 more yards, nine more touchdowns and most-importantly, take 25 fewer sacks than he did as a rookie.