Bryce Young Just Showed Everyone Why He Should Be The Slam-Dunk No. 1 Pick In The 2023 NFL Draft
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Well damn, Bryce Young. Most top NFL Draft prospects take a seat for their bowl games. There's no shame in it. We've seen horror stories before of surefire first-round picks suffer catastrophic injuries that tank their stock. Kentucky quarterback Will Levis, for instance, didn't participate in the Wildcats' game today against Iowa.
Meanwhile, the much slighter-in-frame Young took the gridiron, overcame an early 10-0 deficit, and once he converted a 3rd and 10 to Jahmyr Gibbs for 60 yards, there was no looking back. The Tide indeed rolled, as is always satisfying to say.
I really do balk at Young's lacking measurables. We haven't seen many undersized QBs truly thrive in the NFL long-term. Think about some of the recent cases: Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, Tua Tagovailoa and Zach Wilson. Flashes of brilliance, sure — at least in the case of the first three guys — but all of them have been banged up. Russell Wilson was an outlier who is now aging like milk.
Young dealt with an injury to his throwing shoulder earlier this season. Thankfully it wasn't catastrophic. Otherwise, no glaring durability issues, and although he can run very effectively, last year's Heisman Trophy winner gains yards with his legs as a last resort. His mobility is almost always a means to set up throwing lanes, or off-schedule explosive plays.
So now that you can kind of see both sides of the argument about Young and how his game translates to the NFL, I've seen enough to believe he'll be an outlier.
The man has unreal instincts, excellent pocket presence, pro-caliber processing/field reading ability, and can any and every variety of throws to all areas that you could ever ask for. Unlike some of the smaller, chip-on-the-shoulder type QB prospects of years past, Young doesn't have that abrasive/bratty attitude, yet you can tell he's hyper-competitive and still is an excellent leader.
Realizing any Alabama QB evaluation is a challenge because of how stacked with future NFLers Nick Saban's powerhouse program always is, I think Young is well ahead of Ohio State's CJ Stroud in terms of professional upside. It's just a matter of whether or not Young can stay healthy. My gut says he can.
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Here are the latest odds for the No. 1 overall pick, courtesy of Barstool Sportsbook:
I included a lot of long shots, because you never know. The Houston Texans have the inside track to the No. 1 overall pick right now, which is hilarious because their most hope-inspiring young field general, Davis Mills, has the power to play them out of that position by stringing together a couple wins. Thing is, the Bears have Justin Fields, so even if they go to the top spot, they'll be going best player available on defense anyway.
My feeling is the Texans hang on and complete their latest tank job, with the reward being a franchise QB. They should take Young. As the guy who famously (JK, low-key) nailed Derek Stingley Jr. to Houston at +6600 odds in last year's draft…
…I have a feeling if the Texans were going to take a wild swing on a quarterback not named Bryce Young at No. 1 — and they can, since they'll have another first-round pick to play with — it might be Florida's Anthony Richardson. He's SO raw and I wouldn't do it. There's also a chance he goes on a Josh Allen-esque trajectory because that's just how downright freaky Richardson is.
Will be fascinating to see what happens atop the draft. My thinking — and the thinking of many other respected folks in the wake of Young's electrifying Sugar Bowl performance — is that Houston or whomever shouldn't overthink it. Sprint to the podium. Or the phone to make the call or whatever. Take Bryce Young first overall.
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