Bryce Young, QB Alabama: Offseason 2023 NFL Draft Profile
Young was a five-star recruit from Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, Calif. in the class of 2020
Alabama quarterback Bryce Young won the Heisman Trophy in his sophomore season and led the Crimson Tide to an appearance in the College Football National Championship Game. After just one year as a starter, Young is one of the game’s most accomplished quarterbacks. However, the rising junior isn’t without his flaws as a 2023 NFL Draft prospect.
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Bryce Young, QB Alabama: 2023 NFL Draft Profile
Classification: Junior quarterback from Pasadena, Calif.
Background: Young was a five-star recruit from Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, Calif. in the class of 2020. He was the No. 2 recruit according to 247Sports, No. 2 for Rivals, and No. 2 for On3.com. ESPN ranked him fifth in the nation with a 91 grade out of 100. Young was 2019-20 Gatorade Football Player of the Year in California. That year, he completed 72.6% of his attempts for 4,528 yards, 58 touchdowns, and six interceptions while rushing for 357 yards and ten additional scores. Young led Mater Dei to the state championship in 2018, throwing for 3,846 yards and 39 scores. As a sophomore, he totaled 3,431 yards, 41 touchdowns, and three interceptions compared to 1,445 yards and 14 touchdowns as a freshman. Young left high school with 13,250 passing yards, 152 passing touchdowns, 1,084 rushing yards, and 178 total touchdowns. He was the Offensive MVP and the All-American Bowl Player of the Year in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio. Young originally committed to USC before switching to Alabama.
2021 Production: 15 games, 547 attempts, 366 completions, 4,872 yards, 47 touchdowns, 7 interceptions + 3 rushing touchdowns
2020 Production: 9 games, 22 attempts, 13 completions, 156 yards, 1 touchdown
Injuries & Off-Field: N/A
Awards: 2021 First-Team SEC, 2021 SEC Offensive Player of the Year, 2021 Heisman Trophy, 2021 Consensus All-American, 2021 AP Player of the Year Award, 2021 Davey O'Brien Award, 2021 Manning Award, 2021 Maxwell Award
Pros: Feet remain active in the pocket, has the mobility to scramble and extend plays, scrambles for first downs and takes what the defense gives him, surveys and works the middle of the field despite his size, stays disciplined and keeps his eyes downfield when extending plays, release speed is adequate, varies his release point, throwing motion is fairly efficient, comfortable throwing on the run, remained poised against Auburn (2021) and delivered his best performance late in the game, puts touch on the football consistently on short to intermediate throws and usually on deep throws, throws with great velocity to fit the ball through windows, has adequate arm strength, embodies leadership, stands in and delivers through pressure, flashes of elite accuracy and anticipation, decision-making varies but he usually protects the football
Cons: Lacks ideal size for an NFL quarterback, frame will raise durability concerns, had seven passes batted at the line of scrimmage in 2021, five fumbles in 2020 and nine in 2021, lacks the frame to break tackles, penalized ten times in 2021 including twice against Auburn for delay of game, needs to get rid of the ball sooner when the defense’s pass rushers are humming, needs an extra set up step for long throws, inconsistent velocity on deep throws, doesn’t have an elite arm, ball placement varies, sometimes he leads his receiver back into the defense, retreats too far back occasionally when attempting to extend plays
Overview: Young is unofficially listed at 6'0", 194 lbs. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner has a small, thin frame, but he plays tougher than he looks. Young is willing to take contact if that means delivering a good throw. He also has the agility to dance behind the line of scrimmage and extend plays. Despite his size, Young puts good zip on short to intermediate throws and is capable of putting passes on a rope into deep areas of the field. His arm talent isn’t elite, but it shouldn’t place too many limitations on him in the proper system. While Young has flashes of elite accuracy and anticipation, he has his fair share of overthrows, underthrows, and passes behind his intended targets. He’ll also occasionally challenge tight coverages or double teams when he probably shouldn’t. It’s a little worrisome that Young had games like he did against Auburn and Texas A&M in 2021. Those aren’t the kinds of performances usually associated with a potential top overall pick, but we have to remember that it was his first year as a starter. Young is a respected locker room leader on the most successful program in recent college football history. Even if we can’t measure that, it should factor into his evaluation.
Overall, Young is dealing with more physical limitations than your usual potential No. 1 overall pick, but the true junior has shown the leadership, maturity, and mental capacity to counter those concerns. However, Young displays more inconsistent play than previous quarterbacks who contended for the top overall pick. At the very worst, he will be a top 15 selection in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Role & Scheme Fit: Pocket passer in a spread offensive scheme
Round Projection: Top 15 Selection
Player Comparison: N/A
Submitted: 08-02-22