Jeff LegoldSenior writer for ESPN4 minutes to read
How NFL evaluators react to Bryce Young’s measurements
Matt Miller says he believes NFL denizens are happy with Bryce Young’s height, weight and hand size.
Indianapolis – Alabama quarterback Bryce Young, one of the best players available in the 2023 NFL Draft, told teams in his scouting week that concerns about his size were misplaced.
On Saturday, Young officially measured in at 5-foot-10 1/8 and weighed in at 204 pounds, which would make him the lightest first-round quarterback since at least 2006 and one of the shortest passers drafted since the AFL-NFL merger in 1967.
Young, listed at Alabama at 6-foot-1 and weighing 194 pounds, is the No. 1 ranked player by ESPN draft analyst Todd Macchie & Scouts, Inc. and the No. 4 Big Board player in Mel Keeper Jr.
“I’ve been that big, respectfully, my whole life,” Young said. “I know who I am, I know what I can do. For me, this is fair. Everyone can speculate. He asks me every question. I will continue to control what I can control, continue to work hard… I am confident in myself, I know what I can do.” “.
Killer Murray, selected by the Arizona Cardinals with the No. 1 overall pick for the 2019 draft, measured 5-10 1/8, 207 pounds, in the combine that year. Murray is the shortest first-round player since 1967, tied with Johnny Manziel, who finished 22nd overall in the 2014 draft. They are the only two players drafted in the first round who were under 6 feet tall. Michael Vick, who was the first pick by the Atlanta Falcons in the 2001 draft, was 6-foot-2, 210 pounds in the 2001 group, while Drew Brees weighed in at 6-foot-2, 213 pounds in the 2001 group before he was first picked in the second round by The then San Diego Chargers.
Young’s physical dimensions did not affect his career at a college football center in what is considered the best conference in the country. Young was the Heisman Award winner as well as the Southeastern Conference Offensive Player of the Year in 2021, throwing 79 touchdown passes with 12 interceptions in his two seasons as a Crimson Tide starter. In his final game – Alabama’s Sugar Bowl victory over Kansas State in January – Young threw for 321 yards with five touchdown passes.
Young’s size has become perhaps the most discussed topic regarding his NFL potential, especially after a season in which he lost time with a sprained AC joint in his right (throwing) shoulder.
On Friday, when asked what he would weigh on Saturday, Young said “I’ve been in the 200-pound range and that’s something that wasn’t too hard to do.”
On Friday, Young said he officially met the Chicago Bears and Houston Texans at the combine. The Bears have the first pick in the April draft while the Texans have the No. 2 and No. 12 picks.
Young said he spoke to former Alabama quarterback and current New England Patriots quarterback Mack Jones about the pre-draft process as well as “how I carry myself.” He said he answered every question asked by the teams as honestly as possible.
“My leadership is not necessarily to prove anything,” Young said. “For me, trying to explain all the things that I see to the coaches and general managers, all the decision makers. To express myself about how I see the game, my experiences…to learn as well.
“I tell the truth. I make sure I explain how I play the game, how I see the game, my process. Obviously there are good things in the movie, on the board, just talking the ball.”
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