Bryce Young or CJ Stroud? It's a question central to the Carolina Panthers' plans in the 2023 NFL Draft. During an appearance on Sportscenter, ESPN NFL league insider Chris Mortensen delivered a firm answer to that question. Mortensen flat-out believes that the Panthers are going to select Young in the draft.

“What I'm hearing is that Mel and Todd are going to have to change their mock drafts. Bryce Young is the pick.”

In a nod to both Todd McShay and Mel Kiper Jr, who have each had Ohio State's CJ Stroud mocked to the Panthers, Mortensen said they'll have to make some tweaks to those NFL Draft predictions.

The league insider added that the Panthers “love” Young.

The 2021 Heisman Trophy winner at Alabama, Young is regarded as one of the top two signal-callers in the NFL Draft, alongside Stroud.

But Young, who measured in at 5-foot-10 inches and 204 pounds at the Scouting Combine, has durability concerns given his smaller measurements.

Panthers head coach Frank Reich has tended to work with taller quarterbacks but told reporters that he had a “very high grade” on Russell Wilson, also a smaller quarterback, before the 2012 NFL Draft.

Such comments seemed to indicate that a Young selection wouldn't be out of the question for Reich.

Another report emerged from NBC Sports' Peter King, who said that a longtime friend of the Panthers coach said he would be “surprised” if Young was the selection.

But Mortensen would seemingly be surprised if it wasn't Young.

The speculation is sure to continue right up until the start of the NFL Draft.

All eyes will be on the Panthers on April 27.