Donte Jackson explains why the Panthers are happy with what they're seeing from Bryce Young

When the Carolina Panthers traded four draft picks and wide receiver DJ Moore to the Chicago Bears to secure the No. 1 pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, the entire football landscape assumed it was to draft a quarterback.

This didn’t exclude the Panthers’ team group chat, as cornerback Donte Jackson revealed the player’s reaction to the memorable offseason move.

“I mean that’s when we didn’t know who we were taking, was just excited knowing you were going to take one of those players,” Jackson admitted. “There really wasn’t a wrong answer with all those guys, but definitely happy with the guy we chose. Like I said, there was no wrong answer so we knew we was going to get a dog, and we’re definitely happy with the dog we got because he’s different.”

Bryce Young ended up being the Panthers’ top dog, selected No. 1 overall by Carolina following an impressive two-year stint as Alabama‘s starting quarterback.

Young has now completed OTAs and mandatory minicamp for the Panthers, with all of the team’s staff and players getting their first taste of the future in Charlotte. And so far, Jackson likes what he’s seen from Young under center leading the team’s offense.

“Very even-keeled, very calm, smart smart guy,” Jackson said. “Smart football player, you can tell he’s played a lot of football over his young career. You can tell he’s been in a lot of high-intensity moments, a lot of big games, he’s made a lot of big plays, because you can just tell with his poise and his calmness. Just even-keeled, this guy just comes to work to work and that’s what it is.”

Young’s trademark in his collegiate days aside from his playing ability was his demeanor, known as a cool customer in the pocket and on the sideline in the highest pressure moments and situations. He’s seemed to have taken that quiet confidence with him to Carolina as well despite being a rookie, already impressing Jackson and others with his poise.

“Yeah that’s very accurate, like I said he’s just very even-keeled man. You’re not gonna get a whole lot from him verbally, but you’re gonna get a whole lot from him physically. So yeah he’s a really good player, like I said, he’s been in a lot of high-stress moments. He’d played at a big program, he’d played in some big games, that’s just what you see from him right now. He’s really just taking command and taking control of the offense,” Jackson said.

It’s too early to project what the Panthers’ offense will look like with Young at the helm, but if he carries enough of his skills and intangibles from the college level to the professional level, Carolina could make some noise in a competitive NFC South as early as his rookie season this year.