Bryce Young Quarterback Alabama / Junior
Height: 5’10” Weight: 204
The 2023 QB class has long been viewed as above average and Bryce Young has been viewed by many as the poster child of the class. He has experienced both personal and team success at the highest collegiate level and will almost certainly hear his name called early come draft night.
The Numbers: Young began his college career highly touted and sought after as a 5-star high school recruit, ranked 2nd in the nation. Like most QBs entering the Alabama system, Young had the opportunity to redshirt and learn his freshman season in 2020, but wasted no time once he received the starting nod in
2021. Through 15 games including the playoff, young amassed a whopping 4,872 yards and threw for 47 touchdowns with only 7 interceptions. His season was capped with a National Championship as well as a Heisman trophy. In 2022 Alabama as a team took a step back missing the playoffs, but Youngs efficiency metrics remained nearly identical to his breakout 2021 campaign. He finished with a career QBR of 86.2, which is very high for a college athlete. Young did not participate at the NFL Scouting Combine, with the exception of weighing in. His listed weight of 204 was likely extremely artificially inflated which would coincide with opting out of athletic testing. At his pro-day Young clocked a 4.52 40-yard dash with a 30.6 inch vertical. Both are acceptable but not exceptional numbers co
nsidering his size.
The Film: Watching Bryce Young film can quickly make you a believer. His talent is undeniable. Among all of his strengths what stands out the most is precise ball placement and accuracy. He has an enate ability to place the ball where only his receiver has a chance at it. Strangely his overall arm strength down field does not appear to be elite, but the trajectory of his ball is direct on a rope. His obvious ability as a passer is combined with a quick release and great movement in the pocket reminiscent of prime Russell Wilson. He does have a tendency to hold the ball too long attempting to extend plays and takes unnecessary punishment as a result. He also can get slightly sloppy with his footwork and traditional mechanics at times, but it does not seem to hinder his ability much.
The Bott
om Line: The elephant in the room with Young is his size. If a QB of prototypical size had Young’s ability, they would be talked about in the same vein as Trevor Lawrence. The closest size comp to Young is Kyler Murray, but their play style and body composition are completely different. Young appears to be extremely slight of frame and it begs the question, will he be able to withstand the punishment from NFL defenders. He will need a team committed to building a wall of a line in front of him and he will personally need to improve his tendency to take big hits. If he can overcome his physical size limitation there is nothing further holding him back from succeeding in a big way and becoming a legitimate fantasy contributor.
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