The Carolina Panthers, Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts picked the QBs in the first round of the NFL Draft in April but when will Bryce Young, CJ Stroud and Anthony Richardson play in the regular season?
While starting them right off the bat may seem obvious, things aren’t quite so dry, as all three have competition to get the job started. Here’s a look at where each was in the early days of organized group activities (OTAs).
Carolina Newspaper
Opponents | Bryce YoungAndy Dalton
Dalton entered camp as the top QB on the team depth rankings even though the Panthers picked Young with the first draft overall pick. Panthers head coach Frank Reich discuss the team’s plan for Young during rookie practice on May 13. “Bryce will get a lot of rep. Like we said, when he’s ready, when it’s best for the team. , that’s when we’ll figure out how to make the transition,” while confirming that “Andy will represent group one, Bryce will represent group two.”
If the first few days of the OTA are any indication, the time to transition to Young to QB1 could happen earlier than Week 1. The Athletic’s Joe. report that Young fouled the first team more than Dalton on the first day of practice.
Reich praised Young later, telling reporters, “I mean, it’s 10 out of 10. Just complete command, control and poise.” Dalton also praised his competition, describing an instance during practice when Young corrected a mistake in the offense’s script. “You could tell early on that he understood,” Dalton speak. He could also have talked about starting work.
Houston Texas
Opponents | CJ Stroud, Davis Mills
Mills entered the competition with more seniority than Stroud, the second overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft, but not much more. In the two starting seasons for Texas, Mills went 5-19-1 with 33 touchdowns and 25 interceptions.
However, he resounded confidently at the OTAs on Tuesday. “I’m still competing for that starter job,” he told reporters. Just like in Carolina, Stroud started practicing working with the second team while Mills led the first team. According to ESPN’s DJ Bien-Aime, that continued into day two of the OTA.
