After a rookie season in the NFL that saw him struggle in ways foreign to his play at the Capstone, former Alabama QB Bryce Young has been thrown to the wayside by many in the media. 

Believing he is already a bust, they point to his year-one film as a limiting factor in what he can be in the league. 

But a deeper dive proves that while Bryce Young's rookie year didn't grade out the way he would have liked, there is still reason for optimism:

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Destin Adams' Grade for Bryce Young's Rookie Season: C-

"There are a lot of things to look at with the Bryce Young situation," said Destin Adams of A to Z Sports Indianapolis and NFL Draft. "First of all, let's get the elephant out of the room. Yes, they [Carolina Panthers] took Bryce Young over C.J. Stroud last year. The second part is how much they gave up to get Bryce. [2024 first overall pick] Caleb Williams is in a Bears uniform strictly because they made the decision to trade for Bryce Young. So when I'm going through to grade this pick, I don't want to crucify teams that had Bryce Young as the number one quarterback in the draft, But I'm going to get running and give Young a C-."

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James Foster's Grade for Bryce Young's Rookie Season: D

"I went with a D for Bryce Young," said James Foster of A to Z Sports Film Room. "I think that if the comparison point is Bryce Young versus C.J. Stroud, obviously it's a major disappointment because I think that C.J. Stroud is going to be an elite quarterback for the foreseeable future. And I think that Bryce Young still has a chance to be a really good quarterback, but I feel like his lack of arm talent in some areas can kind of hold him back. He finished really well down the stretch, but the Packers game, and the Falcons game, were two of his weaker games and those happened in the end of the season. It's tough with Bryce Young because his supporting cast was so bad in terms of receiver separation and offensive line protection. Now, that has historically been an excuse that has been used to cover for not-very-good quarterbacks. I understand that. That can be kind of a risky assessment to make, but I think that a D for Bryce Young is fair. A majorly disappointing season, but I think that there's still some hope."

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Final Word

"Dave Canales [Panthers new HC] got the most out of Baker Mayfield as the OC in Tampa this past year," added Adams. "I don't think it's a one-for-one comparison, but I think both [Young & Mayfield] are a little bit smaller for the quarterback position, obviously. I think Baker has shown a little bit more arm strength that we've probably seen from Bryce Young, but I am excited to see Dave Canales work with Bryce next year."

Bryce's accuracy, decision-making, and football intelligence didn't suddenly disappear during his rookie season. Did he look small? Yes. Was his arm electric? No. 

But those were flaws that we knew he carried with him from Alabama. The lack of protection from his line and the inability to separate from his pass catchers just emphasized those flaws. 

So with a WR room that saw a proven veteran acquired via Diontae Johnson, and an explosive rookie in Xavier Legette drafted, there is a chance that the people writing off Young will be eating their words as soon as October. 

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