Bryce Young Scouting Report

Bryce Young, Quarterback, Alabama

Basic Information:

Conference: SEC

Class: Junior

Age: 21.44

Height: 6’0

Weight: 194 lbs.

Background:

- 5-star dual-threat quarterback from Santa Ana, California

- Played three seasons (two as a full-time starter) at Alabama and led the Crimson Tide to the playoffs while winning the Heisman trophy in 2021

- Consensus All-American in 2021

Strengths:

- Extremely good passer on intermediate throws | 94.2 PFF passing grade on “medium” throws

- Effective passer on play action and non-play action throws | 90 PFF grade on play action and 90.4 PFF grade on non-play action

- Performs very well under pressure and when he is blitzed | 69.6 PFF grade under pressure and 88 PFF grade when blitzed

- Does a great job of avoiding sacks | 12.5% pressure-to-sack percentage and -9.9 total EPA lost due to sacks during his final season

- He was asked to do a lot during his final season as Alabama didn’t run many screens or play action passes

- His supporting cast during his final season was underwhelming, especially for Alabama, who usually has a plethora of high-level receivers and offensive linemen

- Does a great job of extending plays and making things happen outside the pocket

- Had a great development path | declared early, broke out as a 20-year-old, and had a strong peak with a PFF grade of 92.1 in 2021

Weaknesses:

- His 74.1 PFF passing grade on short throws is really low for a top-tier quarterback prospect

- He has enough mobility to get outside the pocket and create plays on the run, but he isn’t a high-level runner | 12.57% adjusted rushing yards market share during his final season and just 4.8 career rushing yards per game

- Has good arm strength but not elite arm strength

- His limited rushing upside and non-elite arm strength raise questions about his upside

- Has a very small frame that would be an outlier for a player who’s expected to be a top pick in the draft; I’m not quite sure how much his 194 lbs. frame will hurt him moving forward, though

Red Flags:

- None

Overview:

Bryce Young is an extremely gifted quarterback who has all the ability to be a very good dual-threat quarterback in the NFL. He is a very accurate passer who excels at attacking the intermediate parts of the field. He also operates very well under pressure and has shown the ability to be productive against blitzes.

While I don’t think he’ll ever be a productive runner due to his small frame and lacking rushing production in college, I think he does an incredible job extending plays and making things happen when plays break down.

There are a few concerns, starting off with his arm strength. His arm is good but not quite elite, and I worry that this, paired with his underwhelming rushing productivity, means his ceiling is limited. I also worry about his short-area passing. His production on short throws wasn’t great this year, though it wasn’t poor enough to be a major red flag.

Overall, I think Young is a very good prospect and one of the top prospects we’ve seen over the last couple of years. Due to his physical limitations, I think he’s a step below the elite prospects (think Joe Burrow, Trevor Lawrence, or Kyler Murray), but I think he’s somewhere in the next tier, and I wouldn’t be shocked if he made a few pro bowls.

Draft Grade and Future Outlook:

1st Round | Starter to Pro Bowler