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No. 1 draft picks like quarterback Bryce Young carry the weight of expectations on their shoulders. Carolina Panthers fans hope he will be their next franchise quarterback after Cam Newton. His four-year, $37.95 million contract adds extra pressure on him to deliver favorable results, and fast.
His passing accuracy and ability to make good reads will help him succeed in professional football. However, he can’t use those attributes if the offensive line cannot protect him. During the preseason, at least, the men upfront haven’t been up to the task of safeguarding Young.
Fans are frustrated by Panthers’ O-line protection for Bryce Young
The NFL’s official Twitter account shared a video of New York Giants outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux sacking Young. The second-year player did not perform a special move to arrive at the rookie quarterback.
Instead, offensive lineman Ikem Ekwonu failed in blocking Thibodeaux because he was paying attention to another Giants pass rusher.
This sequence had one football fan commenting:
“He ain’t making it to week 10”
Another said:
“Did bro forget to block?😭”
Here are other comments regarding Ekwonu’s missed block to protect Bryce Young:
Pro Football Focus ranked the Carolina Panthers offensive line as the 16th best in the league this offseason. Aside from Ekwonu, tasked to protect Bryce Young’s blind side, Bradley Bozeman is expected to be their starting center.
Brady Christensen, Austin Corbett and Taylor Moton are the other linemen scheduled to start for Carolina.
How is Bryce Young performing during the preseason?
The former Alabama standout saw limited action in the preseason game against the New York Jets. He completed four passes out of six attempts for 21 yards. Matt Corral played most of the snaps in their 27-0 preseason loss.
Meanwhile, the Panthers also lost 21-19 to the Giants. Young had three completions out of six tries for 35 yards. Corral and Jake Luton also played for the Panthers.
Football experts regard the Panthers’ strength of schedule for the 2023 NFL season as easy. Pro Football Network ranks them as the team with the sixth-easiest schedule. Conversely, Sharp Football Analysis placed them fourth-easiest.
However, Bryce Young and the Panthers will face several teams that participated in last year’s playoffs. They will face the Seattle Seahawks in Week 3, the Minnesota Vikings in Week 4, and the Miami Dolphins in Week 6.
The Panthers will also face the Dallas Cowboys in Week 11 and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Weeks 13 and 18. While the New Orleans Saints didn’t participate in last year’s playoffs, they ranked ninth in points allowed per game (20.3) last season.
