Well, they didn't draft him No. 1 overall to sit on the bench.

The Carolina Panthers, who held their first training camp practice Wednesday, formally announced the expected and named top NFL draft pick, Bryce Young, as the team's starting quarterback. Coach Frank Reich made the announcement at the team's training camp headquarters in Spartanburg, S.C., one day after Young celebrated his 22nd birthday.

"I think we've made good progress," Reich told reporters Wednesday. "I think Bryce has made good progress. You can just tell he – and the whole group, the whole group on offense, just speaking about how we've progressed – you can just tell everybody is feeling more comfortable, certainly Bryce is as well. I feel good about where he's at."

Young, who won the Heisman Trophy following the 2021 season, set Alabama single-season records for passing yards (4,872) and touchdowns (47) that year. A 5-10 quarterback, Young is entering the NFL with questions about his size, but boasts elite accuracy, vision and has ample experience in a pro-style offense that should translate well to the NFL. He is taking over an offense that is in transition and whose top two receivers – Adam Thielen and DJ Chark – are both offseason additions.

"That means a lot," Young said of being named the starting QB. "For me, it doesn't change my approach – just make sure I take things day-by-day. There's a lot that I want to keep growing and keep improving on. There's a lot to learn."

The Panthers originally held the No. 9 overall selection in the draft but traded a pair of first-round selections and receiver D.J. Moore to the Chicago Bears for the top overall selection.