Courtesy: RALPH D. RUSSO AP College Football Writer
The players chosen to NFC South teams in the first round Thursday of the NFL draft:
1) Carolina Panthers — Bryce Young, QB, 5-foot-10, 200 pounds, Alabama
Scouting report: Poised leader and creative playmaker, who excels at buying time while seeing the entire field. Elite combination of instincts and intelligence with a good arm, but, boy, is he small for an NFL quarterback.
Fact: The national high school player of the year as a senior in California went on to become the 2021 Heisman Trophy winner as a sophomore at Alabama.
Notable: Alabama’s first Heisman-winning quarterback is now the first Tide player taken No. 1 overall in the NFL draft since QB Harry Gilmer by Washington in 1948.
8) Atlanta Falcons — Bijan Robinson, RB, 5-11, 215, Texas
Scouting report: Vision, burst, finishing power and reliable hands make Robinson one of the best running back prospects in the past decade. Will need to be more decisive hitting holes in the NFL.
Fact: His 3,410 career yards rushing rank behind only Ricky Williams, Cedric Benson and Earl Campbell (all four-year players) in Texas history.
Notable: Robinson is the first Texas offensive player selected in the first round since QB Vince Young was taken by Tennessee No. 3 overall in 2006.
19) Tampa Bay Buccaneers — Calijah Kancey, DT, 6-1, 281, Pittsburgh.
Scouting report: Undersized, but active and quick interior lineman. He’s no Aaron Donald, who came out of Pitt with a similar scouting report, but he’s disruptive.
Fact: Led major college football defensive tackles with 14 tackles for loss last season.
Notable: Last time Tampa Bay picked a defensive tackle in the first round was Vita Vea from Washington at No. 12 in 2018.
Not yet picked:
29) New Orleans Saints (from San Francisco through Miami and Denver)
30) Philadelphia Eagles
31) Kansas City Chiefs
