How Does Alabama QB Bryce Young Fit With Texans?

Young officially declared for the NFL draft last month and now awaits a call on draft night, with Houston feasibly being a place for him to prove himself at the next level.

Sitting just about two months away from the NFL draft in April, speculations, mock drafts and debates around the league regarding draft picks are at an all-time high. 

The Houston Texans are no exception to the draft talks — currently holding the No. 2 overall pick.

It is no secret that Houston is in need of a new quarterback next season after a less-than-promising year under Pep Hamilton and quarterback Davis Mills.

With a new-look coaching staff headlined by DeMeco Ryans and new offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik, Houston has set itself up for what it hopes will be a rebound season.

And that could start with the Heisman-winning quarterback from Alabama, Bryce Young.

In his three years with the Crimson Tide, the Heisman Trophy winner made his presence felt. 

By the time he played his last snap for Nick Saban, he had racked up more than 8,000 passing yards and 80 passing touchdowns — both second in program history — with only 12 interceptions. 

Though he found success instantaneously, entering his first game as a starter, Young had a tall order in front of him: following the tenures of Jalen Hurts, Tua Tagovailoa and Mac Jones — all NFL-caliber quarterbacks who led Alabama to a national title game.

Young accomplished the latter during his Heisman season, leading the Crimson Tide to the national championship game, where they would go on to lose to Georgia 33-18. 

But despite not winning a title with Alabama, Young proved both his individual talent and his ability to lead a high-powered offense.

One major characteristic that many scouts and analysts have commented on, however, is Young's size, where he stands at 6-0 and weighs in at 194 pounds - far shorter than most NFL QBs.

Young discussed his size with reporters following his official declaration for the 2023 NFL draft.

"Hopefully, my work on the field speaks for itself," Young said. "For me, I can control what I can control. I know throughout this process, I'm going to be pushing myself day in and day out to get myself to become the best version of myself for whatever franchise does take me."

So, Young is not worried about his size. 

And neither were the Arizona Cardinals, who drafted Oklahoma's Kyler Murray first-overall in 2019 — Murray measuring in at 5-10 and weighing 207 pounds at his combine. 

The difference in the two quarterbacks' game styles however, may make the difference. 

Young has proven himself to be a bona fide pocket passer, while Murray relies more on his dual-threat ability. 

If the Texans were to pursue Young, that would certainly be something for Ryans and Slowik to discuss, especially if they could get a similar mobility out of Young that they saw with Deshaun Watson, who in a three-year span from 2018-20 ranked in the top-six quarterbacks in rushing yards each year. 

And hailing from a conference that has already allowed him to play in high-stakes games against NFL-caliber defenders, Young would provide Houston with a much-needed upgrade at quarterback.

Either way, in just over two months, DeMeco Ryans the Texans will be on the clock — and Young should be at the top of their list at No. 2.

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