Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud heard their names called back-to-back at the 2023 draft. Now, less than two months into their professional careers, they get to face one another on an NFL field.
Young’s Panthers will welcome Stroud’s Texans to Carolina for a Week 8 tilt between the No. 1 and No. 2 overall picks. While they were taken one pick apart, they have gotten off to much different starts in the NFL.
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WATCH HEREStroud has turned the Texans into one of the league’s early-season surprises. The Ohio State product has led Houston to a 3-3 start with nine passing touchdowns and one interception, which only came after he set an NFL record for most pass attempts without a pick to start a career.
Young’s rookie year has been much rockier, especially compared to anything he experienced at Alabama. The Panthers are the NFL’s last winless team at 0-6 and Young missed one of those games due to injury. The 2021 Heisman Trophy winner has six passing touchdowns to go with four interceptions and ranks last in the NFL in total QBR.
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SIGN UP Fans have had many chances to see No. 1 and No. 2 overall picks square off as rookies in recent years. This will be the eighth season since 2013 to feature a matchup between the top two selections in that year’s draft.
From QB duels to battles in the trenches, here is a look back at some of the recent showdowns between top-two NFL draft picks as rookies.
NFL
2013: Eric Fisher vs. Luke Joeckel
No. 1 pick Eric Fisher and No. 2 pick Luke Joeckel made their NFL debuts against one another in 2013. Both players started at right tackle for a Week 1 matchup between Fisher’s Chiefs and Joeckel’s Jaguars with the Chiefs winning 28-2 in Jacksonville.
2015: Jameis Winston vs. Marcus Mariota
Once again, the NFL schedule makers wasted little time pinning the top two picks against one another in 2015. No. 1 pick Jameis Winston and the Buccaneers traveled to Tennessee to face No. 2 pick Marcus Mariota and the Titans to open the season.
Mariota dominated the matchup, tossing four passing touchdowns in a 42-14 victory. Winston had two passing touchdowns of his own but also threw a pick-six on his first career passing attempt.
2017: Myles Garrett vs. Mitchell Trubisky
No. 1 pick Myles Garrett and No. 2 pick Mitchell Trubisky squared off on Christmas Eve in 2017 when the Browns visited the Bears. Garrett got a sack against Trubisky, but the Bears got the 20-3 win.
The game dropped the Browns to 0-15 on the season, and Garrett had to wait until his sophomore season to pick up his first NFL win.
2019: Kyler Murray vs. Nick Bosa
By getting drafted into the same division, No. 1 pick Kyler Murray and No. 2 pick Nick Bosa faced each other twice in their rookie season.
The two matchups were within a three-week span with Bosa and the eventual NFC champion 49ers beating Murray the Cardinals both times. Murray had four passing touchdowns and zero interceptions combined while also avoiding any sacks from Bosa.
2020: Joe Burrow vs. Chase Young
Joe Burrow and Chase Young matched up in another contest between a No. 1 overall quarterback and a No. 2 overall pass rusher in 2020.
Burrow suffered a season-ending knee injury in the 20-9 defeat against Washington and got some support from Young before leaving the field.
2021: Trevor Lawrence vs. Zach Wilson
Trevor Lawrence’s Jaguars visited Zach Wilson’s Jets for a tilt between rookie quarterbacks atop the 2021 draft.
Wilson scored a 52-yard rushing touchdown and tacked on a passing touchdown in the 26-21 victory.
2022: Travon Walker vs. Aidan Hutchinson
The Jaguars were back at the top of the draft board in 2022 and took Travon Walker above Aidan Hutchinson.
The two pass rushers battled in Week 13 of their rookie season with Hutchinson’s Lions cruising to a 40-14 win. Hutchinson chipped in on a sack, while Walker had five tackles.
