If Bryce Young was about three inches taller and 15 pounds heavier, he may have been regarded as one of the best quarterback prospects in recent memory. But he’s not.
That, though, doesn’t seem to be a dealbreaker for the Carolina Panthers.
On Wednesday, general manager Scott Fitterer hopped on The Clubhouse with Kyle Bailey shortly after his combine presser. He was asked about the potential drawbacks of the barely six-foot quarterback, to which Fitterer replied with high (somewhat literally) praise.
“So I will say that he was a little bit bigger in person than I thought he would be,” Fitterer stated. “But I’ll tell you what—sitting down with him, he was so poised and just so in control. And the way he talks football, it was so fluid coming out of his mouth. Coaches couldn’t even get the question out and he’s already answering, or he went on to answer before they even asked the question because he understands the game so much.
“So, yeah, he’s not a big man, but he does so many things well. He sees the field, he processes quickly, he makes the right decisions and he’s just a really good person on top of it. Really smart, really good person.”
One of Young’s many strengths is his head, no matter how far it is off the ground. The 2021 Heisman Trophy winner routinely displayed his high football IQ, poise and improvisational skills during his time at the University of Alabama.
Head coach Frank Reich, not too long prior to Fitterer’s take, gave a very similar account of Young.
“Highly intelligent, very fast processor, very poised, accurate passer, playmaker and he checks a lot of boxes,” Reich said during his media availability. “No moment’s too big for him. Very, very good player. He seems like a great young man. Very impressive.”
He also went on to downplay Young’s size concerns a bit.
“Yes, it is a concern,” he said. “But look at Drew Brees, look at Russell Wilson. So, are there very many quarterbacks his size that are high, high picks? No, there are not. But, there are exceptions to that. And there’s good reason that there’s exception to that.”
So, can Young give the Panthers a good enough reason to go up and get him come April? Time, not inches, will tell.
