C.J. Stroud Defends Bryce Young: 'You're The One For a Reason!'

When the Carolina Panthers selected Bryce Young with the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, it was a massive moment for the franchise. They got their star quarterback and the player they thought could take them to where they wanted to go - the Super Bowl .

However, Young's first season didn't go well as the Panthers had a 2-14 record with him as the starter while he threw for just 2,877 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions.

Meanwhile, C.J. Stroud, who was taken at No. 2 by the Houston Texans, had a Pro Bowl season as he led the team to a division title and a playoff win as a rookie. With Stroud's performances and Young's consistent struggling, many thought that the Panthers made the wrong decision in selecting Young over Stroud.

The Texans rookie established himself as a leader of the locker room early on and while appearing on The Pivot podcast, Stroud again showcased what kind of person he is by defending Young against the naysayers after his first season.

"A lot of stuff didn't go his way, was out of his control," Stroud said on The Pivot . "You can’t make a play if someone doesn’t block, you can’t make a play if someone doesn’t catch the ball. When you watch the tap, Bryce did a lot of great things, he's going to be a great player, it just takes time. I know everything's going to be fine for him. I told him, you're the one for a reason, don't ever look at yourself differently."

It was no secret that Young struggled and the downside of getting drafted first overall is the team a player goes to generally isn't good, hence the No. 1 overall pick.

As Stroud says, it takes time and while he had a superb rookie season and Young didn't, the roles could be reversed next year and this conversation about the Panthers choosing the wrong quarterback would be moot.

One season doesn't define a player, let alone a rookie, and Stroud clearly recognizes that and has thrown his support behind Young who endured a lot of trials and tribulations in his first season as an NFL starter.

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As Stroud stated, Young was No. 1 for a reason, and in his second year, one can easily imagine he'll be hellbent on showing it.