NFL draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. says the Panthers have 'mishandled' Bryce Young

ESPN's resident draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. shares his take on the former number one overall pick getting benched by Carolina.

Tim Weaver | Sep 18, 2024

Apr 28, 2011; New York, NY, USA; ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr during the 2011 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall. / Howard Smith-Imagn Images

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Carolina Panthers

The Carolina Panthers are a national story again, and for all the wrong reasons. Monday's decision to bench second-year quarterback Bryce Young came as such a shock that it sent tremors not just around the NFL, but the sports landscape in general. It seems virtually everyone has weighed in on Young's benching, from NBA superstar LeBron James to former All-Pro wide receiver Ochocinco.

NFL draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. added his own voice to the cacophony in an appearance on ESPN yesterday. Kiper says that the word "mishandled" is the best word to describe how the Panthers organization has brought up Bryce Young since drafting him.

Mel Kiper on Panthers benching Bryce Young

Mel Kiper went on an ALL-TIME rant, blaming the Carolina #Panthers organization for failing Bryce Young.pic.twitter.com/dUbi1xdNOd https://t.co/euzI0Ch7dl
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) September 17, 2024

We can see both sides of the debate. Kiper is correct that in a lot of ways Carolina has failed Young, especially during his rookie year. On the other thand, the Panthers did make some real upgrades this offseason to make life easier on Young, and he not only squandered that but somehow managed to get even worse than he was last season.

Benching a number one overall pick after just 18 starts is an extreme move - and there's a reason why it's never been done before by an NFL team. However, Young didn't give the Panthers' front office much of a choice.

You can make a case that Young should get another chance to start later this season, but right now he's been playing like the worst quarterback in the league - and arguably one of the worst ever based on the (small sample size) results. Young's QBR over the first two games is 9.1, which if it stands would be the lowest QBR in a season since QBR became a thing, even eclipsing Jimmy Clausen's 13.8 in 2010.