Bryce Young (Quarterback #9)
5’10 195 lbs
21 y/o Junior Alabama
(Gary Cosby Jr./USA TODAY Sports)
Games watched: vs LSU (‘22); vs UGA (‘21); vs KSU (‘22); vs USU (‘22); vs MISS (‘22); vs AUB (‘22)
Summary:
Bryce Young is from Pasadena, California, where he attended Mater Dei High School. As a recruit, Young was a highly-touted 5-star player, the 2nd-ranked prospect in the nation, and the first-rated dual-threat QB. Young committed to the University of Alabama in September 2019.
As a true freshman, Young spent time behind eventual first-round NFL draft pick Mac Jones. He appeared in 7 games and threw for one touchdown.
In 2021, Bryce Young became the starter for the Crimson Tide and exploded onto the scene. He threw for over 4,800 yards, 47 touchdowns, 7 interceptions, and contributed three additional scores on the ground. His performance earned him many post-season awards and accolades, including winning the Heisman Trophy. He is just the 7th underclassman in history to win the award.
In 2022, Bryce Young threw for 3,328 yards, 32 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions, adding 4 scores as a rusher. With his production, he became the only QB in Alabama history to pass for over 3,000 yards in multiple seasons. Young was also named a first-team All-American by the Associated Press and PFF.
Young declared for the 2023 NFL Draft on January 3rd, 2023.
Strengths:
- Excellent football IQ
- Does an excellent job staying on schedule
- Very good off-script and throwing on the move
- Above average athlete
- Adequate NFL arm and velocity
- Very rarely puts the ball in danger
- Vision of a quintessential point guard
- Great at manipulating arm angles
- Finds a good platform and throwing lanes consistently
Weaknesses:
- Desire to make every play
- Doesn’t have elite arm strength
- Can abandon clean pockets
Conclusion:
The polarizing part of Young’s evaluations in the media and some draft rooms in the league will undoubtedly be his size (height and weight). However, the tape does not show those areas as legitimate concerns. He does an excellent job maneuvering himself into the best position to make a play, and with good velocity and a variety of arm angles, there are not many dark areas on the field for Young.
Bryce Young is the most polished QB in the class. The feel in the pocket, timing, and ability off-script makes him the most likely to succeed by a healthy margin. Factor in his work ethic and desire to get better, and the ceiling is sky-high for him.
He rarely finds himself not in control snap to snap and shows maturity beyond his years on and off the field. He is at his very best in the 4th Quarter and had among the best 3rd down execution in the country at the QB position.
His desire to make every play is an asset on most snaps, but he would be better off letting plays die in certain scenarios rather than forcing the issue.
There will be an adjustment period to the speed of the game, and the level of his success will depend on what team he ends up on. Young will be able to take over day-1 for a QB-needy team.
The 4-1-1:
“Bryce remains calm during the big-time moments in the game. His deep ball can come out flat at times”
–Kevin Avery; @4MR_KountryKev
“He’s the best QB in a bad QB draft. He’s got dawg in him and doesn’t waiver in big moments. The whole class benefits from how bad the last QB class was, and Bryce is little as hell. You can’t protect a guy from every hit, and he’s on the same field as athletically freakish guys like Aaron Donald — If he gets hit one time, Andy Dalton could be your starter for the rest of the year.”
-Smoove; @4mr_Smoove
Best Game vs. Worst Game:
Overall Grade: 6.5 (Day-1 Starter)
