Bryce Young DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Carolina Panthers rookie wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan said that quarterback Bryce Young told head coach Dave Canales and general manager Dan Morgan that the team needed to draft him. Young vouched for McMillan, and the Panthers listed and selected the 22-year-old Arizona product with the eighth overall pick of the 2025 NFL draft on Thursday night. The 6-foot-4 pass-catcher excels on contested catches down the field and should immediately be a starter in three-wide sets for the team in 2025 next to Xavier Legette and veteran Adam Thielen. McMillan will give Young a wide catch radius, but there are questions about how much separation he will be able to get on a consistent basis at the next level. If it's true that Young was adamant about the team drafting McMillan, the two could quickly form a strong connection that helps McMillan become fantasy relevant in Year 1.

The Carolina Panthers showed plenty of progress once quarterback Bryce Young got back on the field in his sophomore year in 2024, and he said he's ready "to continue to build and grow" in 2025. It should help that he'll have the same offensive line, same set of receivers and the same coaching staff. It's the first time the Panthers have gone into a season with the same QB, coach and general manager since 2019, and the stability will be a good thing for Young. The 23-year-old former first overall pick looked like a different signal-caller when he returned as the starter in Week 8, completing 61.8% of his pass attempts for 2,104 yards, 15 touchdowns and six interceptions. He also had game-tying or game-winning drives in six of the final nine games. Young will be a QB2 with upside in fantasy, but he has the ability to take the next step in Year 3.

After a disastrous rookie season in 2023, Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young got off to a terrible start in 2024 and was benched after just two games in favor of veteran Andy Dalton. The Athletic's Joseph Person writes that the second-year signal-caller made arguably the most important 180-degree turnaround in franchise history. Young was among Pro Football Focus' highest-graded QBs in the final 11 weeks of the season, and his turnaround was sparked by improved body language and fire and much better footwork. Young's footwork ended the year "light years ahead" of where it was at in 2023 and to begin this season, according to a team source. The former No. 1 overall pick had a 61.8 completion percentage, 2,104 yards, 15 TDs and six interceptions in his last 10 starts. He won't be a QB1 in fantasy in 2025, but his turnaround gives fantasy managers hope he could eventually get there.