ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. discusses why Alabama QB Bryce Young is his new No. 1 overall pick

The great debate throughout the months leading up to the 2023 NFL Draft has been who will be the No. 1 overall pick. It’s largely gone back and forth between Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud, and Mel Kiper Jr. logged his latest pick Tuesday morning.

He’s rolling with Young in the top spot to the Carolina Panthers in his updated mock draft.

Kiper joined Mike Greenberg on ESPN’s Get Up and explained his reasoning for that decision. He cited Young’s mentality and the roster situation at Alabama last year, one season after he won the Heisman Trophy. Despite concerns about his frame, Young only missed one game last season due to injury despite a roster that might not have jumped off the page as much as the Crimson Tide missed the College Football Playoff.

“Just the decision-making, Greeny, and the fact that this past year, he didn’t have that elite supporting cast,” Kiper said. “He put up the numbers, he dealt with the injury, played through it and only missed the one game. I think people just look at him as a guy who has the it factor.

“He’s a winner, he’s got that sparkle and a guy that Carolina, I think, can move forward with. They’ve got the infrastructure there in place with the o-line and the supporting cast, all of his coaches that will be around, surrounding the quarterback. Bryce Young, I think, would be the guy at this stage of where we are in the process.”

When Kiper puts together his mock draft, he pulls from things he hears from people in the league. But two high-profile ESPN insiders — Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen — have also been hearing the Panthers might be leaning toward Young. Between what he hears and what his colleagues hear, Kiper said he didn’t want to overthink it and go with what’s getting the loudest chatter.

Plus, when people most dialed in with the league are saying something, Kiper said he has to listen.

“I listen to Adam and Mort. Adam and Mort have been saying it’s going to be Bryce Young,” Kiper said. “So I always say, Greeny, I’m not the smartest guy out there, but I have some common sense. I’d be an idiot if I didn’t listen to Mort and Adam when you’re hearing Bryce Young could go No. 1 from even your friends in the league. So it’s Bryce Young, for me, right now.”

The 2023 NFL Draft is set for April 27-29 from Kansas City.