This year’s NFL Draft is already a sight to behold. Many analysts and sports bettors are trying to predict who will be this year’s number one overall pick. This season’s prospects are Bryce Young, CJ Stroud and Anthony Richardson. Currently, the Carolina Panthers hold the number one overall pick, which they traded with the Chicago Bears for back on March 11. The Panthers traded away star wide receiver DJ Moore, their 9th overall pick and second round pick (61st overall) in this year’s draft, as well as their first round pick in next year’s draft. 

The Panthers need a quarterback. Current head coach of the Panthers, Frank Reich, who was fired by the Indianapolis Colts last season, has been known to draft bigger quarterbacks, which has helped catapult Stroud and Richardson into the conversation for the number one overall pick. Reich is not the only one making the decision for who to pick: Stroud, Richardson, and Young have all become candidates for the number one overall pick, and the arguments for which one to pick have been discussed since the start of 2023. 

Young is 5’10” and 194 lbs, and the odds of him becoming the number one overall pick is at -300, which means you would have to bet $ 300 dollars to win $ 100 dollars. As a result, Young has become an overwhelming favorite to be selected number one overall. Young is a tenacious player and a great leader. He led the University of Alabama’s football team to an Southeastern Conference (SEC) title and then to the national championship in 2021, where they lost to the University of Georgia. Young also won the Heisman award that year for being the best player in college football. Scouts and professional teams know how much potential Young has, but the issue that has been haunting him since before college is his height. Young is the one of the shortest college quarterbacks in history and will eventually be the shortest quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). Because of his height, Young has become the debate of the draft, with many scouts questioning if his height will hinder him in the big leagues. Even with all of this going on, according to many analysts and draft experts, he still remains the most likely to be drafted number one overall. 

Stroud is 6’3’’and 218 lbs, and the odds of him becoming the number one overall pick is at +220. Stroud was the starting quarterback for Ohio State University for the last two seasons. He led the Buckeyes to a Big Ten title last season and to the College Football Playoffs, where they lost to the eventual champions, University of Georgia, in the Peach Bowl. Stroud was the third runner up in the Heisman vote last season. Many have said that Stroud is the most accurate quarterback in this year’s draft, and because of his stature, he has pushed his status in the draft to potentially becoming the first overall pick. 

Richardson is 6’4’’and is 231 lbs, and the odds of him becoming the number one overall pick is at +2000. At the start of the draft, Richardson was not even in the conversation for being the potential number one overall pick. The main problem with Richardson has been his missed games. Richardson has missed more games than any of these other prospects the last two seasons, which has plagued his ability to be a dominant force in college football. Scouts have recognized those issues but still know that Richardson has plenty of potential. His size and strength, which he showed off at the Draft Combine back in March, has increased his draft stock tremendously as well. Richardson broke the NFL Combine record for quarterbacks in the vertical jump at a wapping 40.5 inches, which brought major attention to his name. Richardson has also been compared to the likes of Cam Newton, who used to be the franchise quarterback for the Panthers because of both quarterbacks’ tall, built frame and playmaking ability. Both quarterbacks are mobile and can almost play as a second running back on the offense. 

In the end, each of these three quarterbacks are unique and different in their own ways. They are all fit to be the number one overall pick, which will make choosing one in the end that much harder.  

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