CJ Stroud and Anthony Richardson leave NFL draft mate Bryce Young in the dust with stellar week 1 performances

Matt Alquiza | Sep 8, 2024

Oct 29, 2023; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) and Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) after the game at Bank of America Stadium. / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

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Carolina Panthers

The three quarterbacks selected at the top of the 2023 NFL Draft will be forever linked. Bryce Young, CJ Stroud, and Anthony Richardson were selected in that order by the Carolina Panthers, Houston Texans, and Indianapolis Colts to revive moribund franchises in desperate need of juice at the quarterback position.

Following week one of the 2024 NFL season, Stroud and Richardson have a leg (or two, maybe three) up on the Panthers' signal-caller Bryce Young. The Texans traveled to Indianapolis for a divisional tilt, and the two quarterbacks lit up the scoreboard in one of the most exciting games of the week. The overall stat lines don't exactly show it, but Bryce Young's closest draft compatriots were electric on Sunday afternoon.

Stroud finished 24/32 for 234 yards, two touchdowns, and no turnovers. He connected with his newest weapon, Stefon Diggs, for two goal line touchdowns, the last one extending the Texans lead to an insurmountable score of 29-20.

MAKE THAT 2️⃣ TOUCHDOWNS FOR 1️⃣ 🔥

📺: @NFLonCBS / @paramountplus pic.twitter.com/Slyf9VhwAE
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) September 8, 2024

Richardson, on the other hand, was more shaky than Stroud, but his highlights were otherworldly. The Colts quarterback set social media ablaze with his first of three touchdowns (two passing, one rushing), a 60-yard rainbow placed perfectly into Alec Pierce's breadbasket. Oh, and he had three Texans defenders bearing down on him. Is it an overreaction to call this the most impressive throw I've ever seen?

A 60-yard drop in a bucket.

📺 CBS pic.twitter.com/7hI0hGDQfm
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) September 8, 2024

Stroud walked away with the win, but both him and Richardson proved that they are ascending into the NFL's elite tier. The Texans quarterback is already in conversations at the top of the NFL's quarterback hierarchy, but Richardson's Cam Newton cosplay have pundits reconsidering how high his ceiling is after what they saw on Sunday.

Bryce Young, on the other hand, failed to match the heights of his draft mates. The Panthers quarterback, with a littany of improvements to his situation, continued to look like the same Bryce Young that left Panthers fans pulling their hair out in 2023. Overthrown balls, jittery footwork, and a general discomfort in the pocket defined the Panthers' season opening 40-7 loss at the hands of the Saints.

It's too early to close the book on debates between Young, Stroud, and Richardson. However, we're a few chapters in, and the quarterback in Carolina has yet to make a claim for the throne between the three. As Stroud and Richardson continue do battle for division crowns and steal the number one spot on highlight shows, Young's time to make a run for the top dog is running out.