Slade Bolden returning to Alabama to catch passes from Bryce Young at Pro Day

Former Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver Slade Bolden will be in Tuscaloosa on Thursday to catch passes for potential No. 1 overall draft pick Bryce Young at Pro Day, according to NFL insider Tom Pelissero.

Bolden is currently an unrestricted free agent. Working out with Young while every NFL team’s scouts are watching could help him land a new deal for the 2023 season. He signed as an undrafted free agent with the Baltimore Ravens last May but the Ravens cut him in October.

During his career at Alabama, Bolden had 712 yards and 4 touchdowns. Most of his production, 42 catches for 408 yards and three touchdowns, came in 2021. The Louisiana native also returned 22 punts, averaging 6.7 yards per return, and returned five kickoffs with a 13.4-yard average.

While other QB prospects like C.J. Stroud and Anthony Richardson did go through passing drills at the NFL Scouting Combine, Bryce Young opted not to throw in Indianapolis.

Bolden is returning a favor this week by participating in the Pro Day. Young threw passes for the former Tide wideout and running back Brian Robinson last year at their Pro Day.

Panthers to choose between Young, Stroud at No. 1

The Carolina Panthers traded for the No. 9 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft and it could be a two-quarterback race, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Shortly after Schefter reported Carolina traded the No. 9 overall pick and the No. 61 pick in this year’s draft, a 2024 first-rounder, a 2025 second rounder and wide receiver DJ Moore to Chicago for the top pick, he assessed what direction the Panthers could go.

Although there’s plenty of hype around Will Levis and Anthony Richardson, Schefter thinks Carolina could choose between Young and Stroud.

“Look, I think the pick will boil down to either Bryce Young or CJ Stroud,” Schefter said on SportsCenter. “If you look at Frank Reich’s history … he has preferred bigger quarterbacks. That would be the CJ Stroud model. There are people who believe Bryce Young should be the No. 1 overall pick, that he’s a mini-Patrick Mahomes. Well, we’ll see if that’s the direction they go.

“But clearly, at this point in time, it seems to me a decision between Bryce Young and CJ Stroud both in play for the No. 1 overall pick, and as that one Panthers official just said to me, ‘We’ve got 48 days to go through this.’”

More on the 2023 NFL Draft

The 2023 NFL Draft takes place from Thursday, April 27 through Saturday, April 29 in Kansas City, Missouri. The event location this year is the plaza just outside of Union Station.

Round 1 of the NFL Draft begins at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, Apr. 27. Rounds 2-3 will begin at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, Apr. 28, and Rounds 4-7 will begin at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday, Apr. 29. The draft broadcast runs throughout the weekend on both ESPN and NFL Network.

On3’s Nick Schultz contributed to this report.