Bryce Young - QB - Alabama
Welcome to the rookie profile for Bryce Young. Young ended his Alabama career with the rare fact on not being a national champion, but he is without doubt one of the best QBs the team have had. Alot will be made of his size during this process, and yes he isn’t the biggest passer, but that feels a little over-rated given his ability to move the ball and make plays. It could hurt him as he gets hits from defenders, but he could add some bulk and limit that impact on his body.
Measurables
Height: 5′ 10″
Weight: 204 lbs
40-yard dash: DNP
3-cone drill: DNP
20-yard shuttle: DNP
Vertical Jump: DNP
Broad Jump: DNP
Bench Press: DNP
College Stats
Notable Headlines
Young was a 5-star recruit, able to select (nearly) anywhere he wanted to play- ultimately opting for Alabama. Saw limited action in 2020 behind Mac Jones (now with the New England Patriots), throwing the ball 22 times for 156 yards and a single score. It was the next season when he took the starting role that he started making headlines, with a 15 game season. He ended throwing the ball 550 times, with 4,860 yards, 47 TDs and 7 INTs. This season led him to winning the Heisman Trophy, along with the college football’s Player of the Year by the Associated Press, the winner of the Maxwell Award as well as being recognized as college football’s top player. Basically, this was the season that he announced himself on the big stage and won plenty of individual awards.
As a junior, he continued his effective play, throwing the ball 380 times for 3,328 yards, 32 TDs and 5 INTs. That put him in rarified air, becoming the only QB to throw for 3,000+ yards in two seasons, as well as finishing second in history for passing yards (8,356) and passing TDs (80).
Scouting Report
Positives
Really good leadership skills, shown by the way that he is looked at by his coaches and team. That allows him the ability to get the players around him to pull together to make plays. Feels the pressure and can find the gap for him to rush through, or find the space in coverage to move the ball forward. Confident passer, with good accuracy allows him to move the ball to his receivers in a place for them to get the ball. His arm strength isn’t elite, but he has a great motion that gets the ball to his receivers quickly.
His pocket play is fantastic too, with his ability to know when the pocket is collapsing, and make the right adjustment. That is underlined by his speed and acceleration.
Negatives
Size. I don’t want to cover too much more on that, it’ll be mentioned plenty during the draft process. That can have an impact on how he needs to sit in the pocket, as he typically sits deeper which can make life harder for his tackles.
Pre Draft Analysis
Expected Draft Capital- Round 1 (& Early)
Landing Spots
Young isn’t really going to be on the board for too long. It’s hard to really see him going past the second pick, with the Houston Texans needing a QB. Not the worst landing spot, but he is going to need help at receiver, as well as protection infront of him.
Post Draft Analysis
Carolina Panthers – Round 1, Pick 1
Landing Spot
The Panthers trading up for the first selection was a clear sign that they were going to go for one of the QBs. They have had a real need to fill that position since Cam Newton started his decline, with a carousel of veteran players that really struggled to make the impact to win the job. Young has all of the talent to succeed in the NFL, but there are some question marks over the talent around him.
Fantasy Impact
Young is going to find himself out on the field early in his NFL career. Young has the abilityThe backfield has now got Miles Sanders leading the team, who is an effective option having worked well with the Eagles. The largest question is going to be the ability of the players catching the ball.
The Panthers brought in veteran receiver Adam Thielen, but his best days could really be behind him. Outside of him, there isn’t anyone that has consistently been a strong receiver. There are a few players that have flashed at times, but no strong players that you (or Young) can really rely on. The addition of Jonathan Mingo in the second round of the draft is another unknown.
For dynasty leagues, Young is a great selection at QB for this class. But he might not hit many highs this season. For redraft, he doesn’t really interest me as anything more than a plug in for the a bye week.
Check out the rest of the draft kit. And, as always, if you want something more specific to your league- reach out! You can find us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Image Credit: Dale Zanine – USA TODAY Sports
