The biggest concern surrounding Bryce Young leading up to the NFL Draft is that he is undersized, but the former Alabama star does not seem to be letting any of the talk about that bother him.
Young was asked by a reporter this week how he has addressed the questions about his height and whether it will hold him back at the NFL level. The 5-foot-10 quarterback had a very simple response — he can’t make himself grow any taller.
Bryce Young on the height question. “I can’t grow.” pic.twitter.com/cyPZyw8P4U
— Scott Fowler (@scott_fowler) April 26, 2023
“I know who I am. I’m confident in my ability,” Young said. “I don’t know how to play the game another way. I’ve been this size relative to the people around me for most of my life. I focus on what I can control. I can’t grow — that doesn’t fall under that category. I can’t get any taller.”
Young has heard the skepticism related to his size for quite some time, and his mindset has not changed. He is still favored to be drafted first overall by the Carolina Panthers, so they must not believe Young’s height will be a major issue.
Teams worry that undersized quarterbacks will be more prone to 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.
Several other top quarterbacks have had to overcome height concerns leading up to the draft. Kyler Murray is one that comes to mind, and the Arizona Cardinals still took him first overall in 2019. It would be a surprise if the same does not happen with Young.
