Rookie Scouting Profile: Bryce Young

FullTime Fantasy Rookie Scouting Profile: Bryce Young (QB)

Bryce Young (QB) Alabama

Height	Weight	40-Time	DOB	NFL Draft	Dynasty ADP	NFL Comp
5-10	204	4.52	07/25/2001	Top-2	2.01	Russell Wilson

College Production

A five-star recruit out of the fabled Mater Dei High in Santa Ana, California, where he earned Gatorade Player of the Year honors and was named the All-American Bowl Player of the Year. Young chose Alabama after de-committing from USC. Posted a 96.0 QB Rating in limited action playing behind Mac Jones as a freshman in 2020. In his first season as Alabama’s starter, Young won the Maxwell Award, Davey O’Brien Award, Manning Award, and won the Heisman Trophy after throwing for 4,821 yards and 47 scores. Followed that up with a svelte 32-to-5 TD-to-INT ratio and led the NCAA with a 91.3 passer grade from PFF.

Strengths

• Outstanding football IQ and poise. Young sees the entire field well and is well-versed in pro-style read progressions, route concepts, and how to exploit defenses.

• Strong arm with excellent touch and accuracy. Ball placement is already pro-ready, as is his ability to throw his receivers open.

• Able to consistently get the ball anywhere on the field.

• Wasn’t asked to run a lot but is underrated as an athlete.

• Immediate leader of men. Young leads by example and has a knack for being clutch. Unaffected by pressure and set example with calm, level-headed decision-making.

• Led all FBS quarterbacks with a 91.3 passer grade (PFF) in 2022.

Areas for Improvement

• Undersized. Young would be one of the smallest starting NFL quarterbacks on record. That may cause some teams to be concerned about Young’s ability to withstand hits from bigger, faster NFL pass rushers.

• Played in a pro-style system with deep and talented supporting cast at Alabama. Adjusting to a lesser NFL roster could lead to growing pains.

• Needs to improve timing and ability to make immediate reads, especially if he is playing behind a lesser offensive line.

• 9 3/4-inch hands are on the smaller size.

• Minor shoulder injury in 2022 cost him one start.

Fantasy Outlook

There isn’t a lot of criticism of Bryce Young’s game. It’s all concerns about his (lack of) size. Young probably played at under 200 pounds throughout his college career. And it would be unprecedented for a quarterback that small to go in the first round of the NFL Draft.

Still, Young is a clutch field general type with an NFL-caliber arm. He’s also underrated as a runner, which has drawn some comparisons to Russell Wilson, Drew Brees, and Kyler Murray. It is widely believed that Young will be one of the first two selections in this draft. That means he’s highly likely to be starting from Day One. There’s enough upside here to view Young as a solid QB2. Also, the floor is high enough that he warrants 1.02 consideration in Superflex leagues.