Panthers HC Frank Reich: When you watch tape, Bryce Young is the best player

After getting his new quarterback on Thursday night, Carolina Panthers head coach Frank Reich joined general manager Scott Fitterer for a little post-pick presser. He’d start by crediting the choice of University of Alabama quarterback Bryce Young to his compadre, who apparently ran one heck of a process.

“I got hired then a couple of weeks later, we were in draft meetings,” he said. “And I sat in this meeting Scott’s running and Scott and all the scouts are talking about all the quarterbacks. All of them. We’re watching film, scouts are talking about ’em.

“And, basically, Scott proposes a question at the end of that meeting like, ‘So, hey, if we trade up, where’s our conviction?’ And it was unanimous—with every guy in that room—starting from Scott on down, that Bryce was the guy.”

Bryce was the guy indeed. The 2021 Heisman Trophy winner heard his name kick off this year’s draft, becoming the first member of the Crimson Tide to ever go No. 1 overall.

And according to Reich, he earned that honor because of the ol’ eye test.

“And it wasn’t much convincing,” he added. “You just watch the tape. There’s a lot said about the size. At the end of the day, there’s a lot of factors that go into it. But we’re coaches, we’re scouts. We watch the tape. And when you watch the tape, Bryce Young’s the best player.”