2023 NFL Draft Profile: Alabama Quarterback Bryce Young

BamaCentral is taking a long look at each of the Crimson Tide's 15 football prospects who could hear their names called during the 2023 NFL Draft in Kansas City on April 27-29.

He's the only quarterback in Alabama Crimson Tide history to win the Heisman Trophy. 

That alone makes him a one-of-a-kind quarterback. But it doesn't seem to be enough in describing why Bryce Young could be the first-overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft. 

He's just about everything an NFL team would want behind center, and draws comparisons from Joe Burrow to Drew Brees. Just among recent Crimson Tide quarterbacks he seems to be like a collage of Tua Tagovailoa throwing the ball, with the competitive nature of Mac Jones, and the poise of Jalen Hurts. 

But what might set Bryce apart from any of them may be his demeanor. 

Over the past three years, Crimson Tide fans have barely seen him get frustrated, much less lose his cool when things weren't going right. Young's also just 21 years old. 

Consider the following quote from Young about looking back on his first year as a starter in 2021:  

“I feel like, really, just growing in my role and just understanding the importance of leadership and communication, I feel that’s something that I learned a lot about this year and I think that’s something I want to continue to work on and try to make a theme of throughout this offseason and going into next year," he said. "Making sure that I take responsibility for us being on the same page, us making sure that as an offense and as a team, that we hold each other to our standard and make sure that we do that consistently throughout the year."

It brings up another attribute that NFL teams look for, and rarely find in the draft, players who can be like a coach on the field. 

Alabama Quarterback Bryce Young

NFL Combine/Workout Details

Andrew Wevers-USA TODAY Sports

No. 9
Position: Quarterback 
Height: 5101
Weight: 204
Hand: 0968
Arm: 3048
Wing: 7348
40: 4.70
DOB: 7/25/2001
Hometown: Pasadena, Calif. 
High School: Mater Dei

What They're Saying About Bryce Young

Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

Lance Zierlein, NFL.com: "Slightly built with measurables that fall below the standard for the quarterback position, Young’s talent and face-of-the-franchise potential could force teams to focus more on his game film and less on his size. Young has had the advantage of working with a former NFL head coach (Bill O’Brien) who understands the challenges facing a pro quarterback. He’s a full-field reader whose confident demeanor on the field oozes off the tape but never becomes unbridled cockiness. He’s thoughtful in where he wants to go with the football and keeps the turnover count low. The deep ball is nothing special and his drive velocity fails to stand out, but he has enough arm strength to make the necessary throws. Young is perfectly capable of extending plays both inside and outside the pocket, but teams will want him to stay on schedule a little more often as a pro passer. He’s poised in the face of both physical and situational pressure and possesses a full offering of intangibles that helps set him apart from some of the more physically gifted quarterbacks in this class."

NFL Draft Bible: "A smart-accurate passer who doesn’t force throws and rarely makes mistakes. Lacks prototype size but sees the field very well, demonstrates natural feel in the pocket and can push the ball downfield with a simple flick of the wrist; has extremely quick throwing motion. His leadership (permanent team captain), anticipation, touch, knowledge of the offense and ability to move the chains with his feet would seem to translate to the next level. Young is a franchise quarterback in the making and potential number one overall pick."

Albert Breer, SI: "Bryce Young isn’t a perfect prospect by any means, but he’s the best one in a pretty good lot. And relative to other first picks (consider what Baker Mayfield entered into with the Browns or Kyler Murray with the Cardinals, or even what Jared Goff, Joe Burrow and Trevor Lawrence had at the start), Young should have a pretty good chance to hit the ground running in Charlotte."

BamaCentral Analysis

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The only questions anyone has seemed to have about Young have to do with his size. Being only 5-foot-10 and 1/8 inch makes it tougher for him to look over some linemen, and then the second-guessers consequently also wonder about his durability. 

When Peyton and Eli Manning openly dismissed both issues the public perception of Young being the No. 1-overall selection appeared to change. 

“He’s been playing at this height for a while now,” Peyton Manning said on "One the Clock," a draft-related series by NFL Films and Omaha Prooductions. “You figure out. Drew Brees figured it out as well as anybody, right? You find throwing lanes. It would be different if he was 6-4 all through college and now all of the sudden he’s 5-10. He knows how to do it.”

Said Eli Manning: “You can find the windows and find the lanes. He’s obviously done it at an extremely high level his whole career. I’m not worried about the height at all.”

Projection: This will probably be the only time we ever make this pronouncement, first overall. 

© Gary Cosby Jr. / USA TODAY NETWORK

This is the 14th story in an annual series profiling Alabama football players available in the upcoming NFL draft. Position rank by NFL Draft Bible"

Edge rusher/Linebacker, No. 1: Will Anderson Jr.

Safety, No. 7: Jordan Battle

Safety/Star, No. 1: Brian Branch

Defensive tackle, No. 18: DJ Dale

Guard/Offensive lineman, No. 5: Emil Ekiyor Jr.

Running Back, No. 2: Jahmyr Gibbs

Safety/Defensive back, No. 18: DeMarcco Hellams

Tight End, No. 9: Cameron Latu

Offensive lineman/Guard, No. 39: Kendall Randolph

Cornerback, No. 23: Eli Ricks

Tackle, No. 9: Tyler Steen

Henry To'oTo'o, Linebackers: No. 6 

Bryce Young, Quarterback: No. 1 

The Complete Alabama Crimson Tide in the NFL Database

All-Time Alabama Crimson Tide Players in the NFL

Former Alabama Crimson Tide Players Selected in the NFL Draft