True or False: Alabama Signal-Caller Bryce Young is QB1 in 2023 NFL Draft

Alabama quarterback Bryce Young is one of the most talented players in the 2023 NFL Draft. Should he be QB1?

College football is officially over, and with the NFL Playoffs kicking off this weekend, the offseason is squarely in the mind of football fans everywhere. With 18 NFL teams eliminated from playoff contention, the first half of the 2023 NFL Draft order is locked in.

Bryce Young, the 2021 Heisman Trophy winner, will be the focal point of several NFL Draft discussions. Is he overhyped? Is he being slept on? Should he be QB1 off the board?

Bryce Young originally committed to the USC Trojans as a five-star recruit out of high school, before flipping to Alabama and serving as the backup to Mac Jones in 2020. Young learned the ins and outs of what being a starting quarterback entails. The team winning a national title did not hurt things, either.

Young took over the top of the depth chart as a sophomore in 2021. As previously stated, the electrifying quarterback won the fourth Heisman Trophy in program history. He was the primary reason that the Tide handed Georgia its only loss over the past two seasons in the 2021 SEC Championship Game. Ultimately he would fall short in the National Championship, but Young made his mark on the football landscape.

The 2022 season was more of the same for Young. The second-year starter carried even more of the load on offense, as the skill positions and offensive line were not up to typical Alabama standards. Two losses on the final play of the game cost Young a chance at winning a championship as a starting quarterback.

Young enters the 2023 NFL Draft as a highly-touted prospect who expects to hear his name early on day one. For as much praise as Young receives, there is an ample amount of doubt thrown his way. What is true? What is false? Let’s try to make sense of Bryce Young as an NFL prospect.

Statement #1: Bryce Young’s Size is Biggest Red Flag in His QB1 Hopes

Verdict: True

Even the biggest Bryce Young fans will admit that the quarterback’s size is a valid concern in the NFL. Young is listed at 6-foot-flat, 194 pounds on the Alabama website, but it would not be a surprise to see him closer to 5-foot-10 and 180 pounds when official measurements come out.

A lack of ideal size will force play callers to be creative with Young. Moving the pocket and allowing Young to create plays outside the pocket should alleviate many of the height concerns. His tiny frame is not built to hold up if subjected to big hits week-in and week-out, so designed run plays will need to be chosen wisely.

His size alone will be enough to knock Young off some NFL Draft boards around the league. As you will come to see, this is the only major red flag in Young’s entire profile. It should not be a disqualifier for teams, but it would be a flat-out lie to say his size isn’t a potential concern.

Statement #2: Bryce Young Got Carried by a Stacked Alabama Roster

Verdict: False

I would go as far as to say that Bryce Young is the only reason that Alabama didn’t lose 4+ games in 2021. Unlike any Crimson Tide signal-caller before him, things were shaky around the star quarterback. Young was consistently let down by his offensive line, pass catchers, and playcalling.

Too often, the offensive line allowed pressure to collapse the pocket, and Young was forced to create off-schedule. Disappointingly, even when Young would improvise and put the ball in a spot for his receivers, drops were a consistent issue on tape.

Furthermore, Bill O’Brien failed to adapt his coaching style, instead deploying Young in a traditional pocket passer role, limiting his playmaking ability. Playing within structure doesn’t mean that the game plan has to be bland, but countless times since 2021, this was the case for Alabama.

The stacked support cast argument was a fair play for Tua Tagovailoa, Jalen Hurts, and Mac Jones. It is not a valid knock on Bryce Young.

Statement #3: Bryce Young is the Most NFL-Ready QB in the 2023 NFL Draft

Verdict: True

Bryce Young is NFL-ready right now. While he will face a learning curve the same way any rookie quarterback does, Young’s confident demeanor and poise under pressure will serve him well when the waters get rough.

Young showed during his time with Alabama that he is capable of putting the team on his back and carrying them to the finish line. Ideally, a team won’t ask Young to shoulder the brunt of the load as a rookie, but if they do, he will answer the call.

Statement #4: Bryce Young is the Best QB Prospect in a Decade

Verdict: False

If Bryce Young possessed a prototypical size at quarterback, this statement would have merit. Unfortunately, Young will check in well below that threshold come pre-draft workouts.

Young would have been QB1 in the 2022 NFL Draft, with little debate. Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields both graded out higher as prospects than Young, so those two (at minimum) rank ahead of Young.

The Final Word

Bryce Young is the best quarterback available in the 2023 NFL Draft. His arm talent, overall demeanor, and poise under pressure make it an easy projection to an NFL offense. A creative play caller is necessary to quell the size concerns, but all in all, Young is worth a top-five pick despite those worries.

2023 NFL Draft Grade: Top 5 Overall (QB1)