Bryce Young has faced a lot of questions about his size heading into the NFL Draft, but the former Alabama star insists he is not letting the narrative bother him.
Young is projected to be a top-five pick and could even be the first quarterback drafted. Some have wondered if he could slip down the board because he is viewed as undersized for the position. Young told reporters on Friday that his physical makeup has never slowed him down.
Young said he’s been around 200 pounds and “for me, that’s been something that’s not too hard to do.”
— Mike Rodak (@mikerodak) March 3, 2023
“Ive been this size, respectfully, my whole life,” Young said. “I know who I am, and I know what I can do. For me, it’s fair — everyone can speculate and ask whatever questions are necessary. I’m going to continue to control what I can control.”
Young has apparently been trying to bulk up to 210 pounds to help him better withstand hits from NFL defenders. He is also listed at 6-feet tall, but one analyst was told Young is significantly shorter than that.
The biggest concern with undersized quarterbacks is injuries, and Young did get hurt during his college career. He also threw 79 touchdown passes compared to just 12 interceptions in his two seasons as Alabama’s starter.
We would not expect the size concerns to impact Young’s draft stock. Those same questions have existed with many other top quarterbacks, most recently Kyler Murray. The Arizona Cardinals still took Murray first overall in 2019.
Let us also not forget that one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL faced a lot of questions about his hand size leading up to the draft, and that proved to be a complete nonfactor. Even if teams are concerned about Young’s stature, he is well worth the risk.
