It seems like Bryce Young was THE quarterback to take in the 2023 NFL Draft — a former Heisman Trophy winner from Alabama who seems to possess the intangibles that make him stand out from the rest of the QB class.
Heck, he was first overall in Christian D’Andrea’s latest mock draft last week.
But with the NFL combine looming, we’re about to get into the usual gripes about QBs and other top prospects — inevitably, one quarterback will have “small hands” and that’s all we’ll talk about for a few days.
The issue with Young that’s been brought up already is something ESPN’s Todd McShay discussed:
“I love Bryce Young, I really do,” McShay says. “I know he’s 195 pounds; a really good friend of mine who’s a scout had him at 5’10½”. But I met with him, I’ve talked to him. He’s special. He’s different. He has the poise, the presence in the pocket, the playmaking, everything else you want. I absolutely love Bryce Young. I would bet on him.” …
He stated that if he were a general manager, he would be: “Scared to death of drafting him”.
Update: Alabama QB Bryce Young's real height is 5'10½, according to ESPN's Todd McShay.
“If I’m a GM, I’m scared to death of drafting him.” said McShay.https://t.co/IX0Jf0GLXP pic.twitter.com/jcz1ZAlf9G
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) February 27, 2023
Now, in my opinion, this is a little silly, and I’ll let Draft Wire’s Luke Easterling explain why:
.@LukeEasterling reacts to Todd McShay saying he would be "scared to death" of drafting Bryce Young because of his height. pic.twitter.com/ybIc4WEVvF
— USA TODAY Sports (@usatodaysports) February 27, 2023
Right? If he’s that good, the height shouldn’t be a concern. We’ve seen other “short” QBs succeed (Drew Brees, Russell Wilson, I’ll throw in Kyler Murray despite some struggles of late).
Couple that report with his “light” weight and you get takes all over Twitter:
Bryce Young will receive height comparison to:
Drew Brees (6’0”)
Russell Wilson (5’11”)
Kyler Murray (5’10”)But their weights are:
209 lbs., 206 lbs., 207 lbs., respectively.
BY is currently listed at 194 lbs. Although he plans to bulk up to 210 lbs., it hasn’t happened yet.
— Devin Lange (@DevinLange32) February 28, 2023
Bryce Young is a smooth 5’9 and QB height matters. https://t.co/m5RbzTXl15
— Euclid (@Deuce1042) February 22, 2023
Height it's still the biggest knock on Bryce Young's profile and it will for sure limit him in some capacity in the NFL.
That and the lack of an elite arm is what sets him apart from being an absolute top prospect. I think he'll be a solid NFL QB regardless though. https://t.co/BBEqLx7jXO
— Luca Sartirana (@SartiranaLuca) February 27, 2023
This just seems silly to me.
