Former Alabama quarterback Bryce Young surprisingly weighed in at 204 pounds — which was a good bit more than what most pundits had him at during his time in Tuscaloosa — at the 2023 NFL Combine on Saturday, March 4. That measurement, along with his height (listed at 5-foot-10 and 3/4 inches) and hand size (listed at 9 and 3/4 inches), had many pundits on Twitter all over the place in their responses.
BamaInsider reporter Clint Lamb believes the added muscle adds weight to the idea that Young could have a similar NFL trajectory to 2× NFL Offensive Player of the Year Drew Brees:
Bryce Young is comped to Brees b/c of accuracy/ball placement, processing, and a good, not elite arm as undersized QBs. People also forget that Brees had more mobility at Purdue (900 rush yds, 9 TD).
That comp plays more than you’d think.
— Clint Lamb (@ClintRLamb) March 4, 2023
FOX Sports analyst and former four-year NFL linebacker Emmanuel Acho chimed in with his belief that height and weight dictate a player’s success as much as the intangibles Young has do:
There are 6’4 230 pound QBs that stay hurt and there are 6’ 210 pound QB’s that stay healthy.
There are 6’2 240 pound RB’s that stay hurt and there are 5’10 190 pound RB’s that stay healthy.
Health is unique to the individual athlete, and Bryce Young is a special one.
— Emmanuel Acho (@EmmanuelAcho) March 4, 2023
Pro Football Focus’ Mike Renner believes Young being under five-foot-11 makes Alabama’s SEC Championship game win over Georgia even more impressive:
So you’re telling me Bryce Young was only 5-10 and 1/8th of an inch when he went 25-43 for 412 yards and 3TDs to beat the best collegiate defense of the past decade? https://t.co/TwiqJD2oUk pic.twitter.com/Ed0rUL0JcD
— Mike Renner (@PFF_Mike) March 4, 2023
The FOX College Football account noticed the similarities between Young and Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray:
Kyler Murray and Bryce Young have almost identical NFL Combine measurements 👀 pic.twitter.com/vEFCQumyAt
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) March 4, 2023
Fellow former Heisman winner and former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III, like Acho, believes Young has the intangibles to succeed regardless of is measurables:
You can measure Bryce Young’s height, weight and frame, but you can’t measure his heart. His measurables don’t tell the whole story because his ability has been taller and outweighed the competition at every level he has played at.
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) March 4, 2023
Present and past quarterbacks were floated, there were different poetic ways to complement Young’s mental and athletic attributes, and his collegiate achievements were praised. All in all, there was variance, but Young’s measurables didn’t have anyone claiming he won’t be an impact player at the pro level.
Bryce Young Projected to Be No. 1 Overall NFL Draft Pick
After winning a Heisman during his first season as a starter and being in the Alabama quarterback room during one of its most dominant runs as a program in 2020, Young is projected to go No. 1 overall in CBS Sports’ latest 2023 mock draft.
In the scenario R.J. Young laid out to draft board curator Josh Edwards, Young would land with the Colts due to a mock trade with the Bears that’d see Chicago land the No. 4, No. 36, and No. 80 overall picks in the 2023 draft, a 2024 first-round pick, and a 2024 second-round pick for the first overall selection.
Young would replace Matt Ryan, who was benched multiple occasions during the 2022 season — his lone year in Indianapolis and potentially his last if the former Falcons MVP signal-caller calls it a career.
Bryce Young Compared to Justin Fields by NFL Scout
Young drew an interesting comparison from a scout considering his recently announced slight frame relative to many of the league’s top quarterbacks — that being current Bears quarterback Justin Fields, who measured at six-foot-three and 227 at the 2021 NFL Combine.
One NFL scout told the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy that Young is better than Fields. “If you are comparing who is the better player, it’s Bryce Young,” the scout said. “Fields is the better athlete, but decision-making and throwing the ball to your targets, it’s Young hands down.”
The Bears have both the 2023 NFL draft’s No. 1 pick and the choice between Young and Fields as their franchise quarterback moving forward.
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Bryce Young’s Surprising Combine Weigh-In Draws Strong Responses