While he didn’t have a preference at the time, Carolina Panthers legend Luke Kuechly waxed poetic about one of the 2023 NFL draft’s top quarterbacks a few weeks ago. And that quarterback was University of Florida’s Anthony Richardson, who reminds him of his old bud Cam Newton.
But on Thursday, he got a chance to speak on another prospect—one who has suddenly become the odds-on favorite to be selected No. 1 overall by his team.
Kuechly, in joining WFNZ’s Mac & Bone yesterday morning, chatted about University of Alabama’s Bryce Young—and, more specifically, the concerns about the smaller frame of the 5-foot-10, 204-pound passer. But the future Hall of Fame linebacker didn’t seem overly worried about Young’s size, even comparing his makeup to that of former divisional foe Drew Brees.
“That size stuff is great—but if that ball’s coming out fast, it doesn’t matter,” he said. “Drew wasn’t a huge quarterback, but he was strongly built. But you could never touch him. You’d get close to him, the ball would be out. You’d get close to him, the ball would be out. And then he never took clean shots.
“Like, that’s the other thing, too. These quarterbacks—yeah, they’re gonna get hit, they’re gonna get bumped. But the good ones know—No. 1: how to get the ball out, No. 2: how to navigate the pocket and No. 3: they know how to not get hit clean.”
On top of being the class’ top processor at the position—Young shows just as much, if not more poise from the pocket than any of his peers. Kuechly believes that, as well as the league’s inclination to keep its quarterbacks healthy, should serve the 2021 Heisman Trophy winner well in the pros.
“You’re gonna get hit every once in a while,” he’d add. “But as long as you’re not getting hit clean, as long as you’re not getting hit square. And then with all the new rules they have, you can’t land on these guys ’cause we want our quarterbacks to be able to play. That’s what makes the game exciting. I mean, obviously not optimal size. If he was 6-4, 250—that’d be awesome. But the guy is so good. He played at such a high level at ‘Bama.”
