Top 40 NFL QBs in 2023: Where do Russell Wilson, Jarrett Stidham rank?

30. Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers

The Carolina Panthers traded everything but the kitchen sink for the right to draft Bryce Young, and it's not hard to see why when you watch him play. Whether you're talking about accuracy, poise, playmaing ability, or football IQ -- Young has it in spades.

It would be difficult to find a better situation around the league for a rookie QB to be stepping into. Frank Reich is one of the NFL's top QB gurus, and he's got a tremendous staff around him offensively including Jim Caldwell, Thomas Brown, Josh McCown, and Duce Staley. The Panthers are clearly going to emphasize the running game and allow Young to grow at their pace.

They brought in Miles Sanders and Adam Thielen for some solid veteran help at the skill positions, but I think what Carolina has done the last couple of years to upgrade the offensive line will really set Bryce Young up for instant success as a rookie.

29. Taylor Heinicke, Atlanta Falcons

Although the hype is all about Desmond Ridder in Atlanta these days, I can't help but thing he's going to have a hard time holding off Taylor Heinicke. Heinicke has one of the best traditions in the NFL, or at least had one of the best traditions in the NFL. He had a bonus in his previous contract with the Commanders which triggered every time the team won a game in which he started.

He would use a portion of that bonus to buy himself (and sometimes his teammates) a pair of Air Jordan retro shoes, themed with the colors of the teams they had beaten. I love it. We'll see if it continues with the Atlanta Falcons, but I think Heinicke's blend of being a game manager as well as his underrated athleticism could lead to him starting more games than not this year for the Falcons.