What everyone is missing about Bryce Young’s NFL Draft situation
Former Alabama quarterback Bryce Young could be the first player selected in the 2023 NFL Draft. Could the Houston Texans move up to draft him?
The Houston Texans are kind of in a tough spot.
Houston needs a quarterback and they own the No. 2 pick in the draft.
With several quarterbacks projected to go in the top 10, they should be feeling pretty good, right?
The problem for Houston is that the team with the No. 1 pick, the Chicago Bears, will probably trade it to a team that needs a quarterback.
That means the Texans have to decide if they want to trade up for the pick to block another team — the Indianapolis Colts, their AFC South division rivals for example — from trading in front of them.
A big part of that decision is whether or not they view one of the quarterbacks at the top of the draft as "worth it".
Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Bryce Young is widely viewed as the best quarterback in the draft, but his size is a concern.
Young came in at 5-foot-10 1/8 and 204 lbs on Saturday at the draft combine. The former Alabama standout probably plays closer to 190-195 lbs.
I don't think there's much doubt that Young is the best quarterback in this year's draft, but I can understand why there are concerns about his size.
The height can certainly be an issue when trying to see down the field. But numerous quarterbacks have proven that they can see just fine while being 6-foot or under (Drew Brees and Russell Wilson are two great examples).
Young is a true pocket passer (he had just 162 rushing yards during his career at Alabama) and he's experienced a lot of success while playing against some of the best teams in college football over the last two years. Almost all of that success came via the passing game (he passed for 790 yards in two games against the 2021 Georgia Bulldogs, one of the best college defenses of all time).
I think the bigger concern is how Young's small frame will hold up in the NFL.
While it's a valid concern, I don't think it's nearly as big of an issue as it would've been 10 to 20 years ago.
The game has changed a lot over the last decade. Quarterbacks are protected more now than they've ever been in the history of the game.
Defenders aren't allowed to hit the quarterbacks low and they can't land on them with their entire body weight. Late hits are now called almost as soon as the ball is out of the quarterback's hands.
That's not to say that tough hits aren't still delivered to quarterbacks — they definitely still happen. Those hits, however, are just fewer and farther between.
Young will take some hits in the NFL, but the risk of a quarterback taking a big hit is lower now than it's ever been.
I'm sure the Texans would prefer for Young to be a few inches taller and a little bit heavier. But the measurables don't change what he accomplished while at Alabama.
Young is a special talent. He's a great leader and he's excelled on some of college football's biggest stages.
This is the best player in the draft. The Texans don't need to make this difficult. If they want to trade up and take the best quarterback available — while also preventing him from landing wit the Colts or even the Titans — then they won't worry about Young's measurables. Instead, they'll make the easy to decision to make a deal with the Bears and entrust Young as their franchise quarterback.
