Who’s QB1 within the 2023 NFL Draft? Is it Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud or Alabama QB Bryce Younger? The talk is already raging on, and it exhibits no indicators of stopping. However along with his 2023 NFL Draft scouting report, Younger will look to ultimately take the crown, and probably take the No. 1 general spot with it.
Bryce Younger NFL draft profile
Ever since highschool, Younger has been on an astronomical trajectory. The Alabama QB was a consensus five-star recruit from soccer manufacturing unit Mater Dei in Santa Ana, California. Over a four-year varsity profession, Younger amassed 13,250 yards, 152 touchdowns, and simply 21 interceptions on near-70% completion. He additionally added 1,084 yards and 26 touchdowns on the bottom.
What Younger did in highschool will dwell in historical past books for years to return. Fittingly, that’s how his Alabama profession might also final as a legacy. After sitting his true freshman season behind eventual first-round choose Mac Jones, Younger took maintain of the highlight as a real sophomore and ran with it.
In his first season as a full-time starter for the Crimson Tide, Younger accomplished 366 of 547 makes an attempt (66.9%) for 4,872 yards, 47 touchdowns, and simply seven interceptions. With 50 whole touchdowns, Younger gained not solely the Heisman Award, but in addition the Maxwell, Davey O’Brien, and Manning awards.
A championship would have accomplished the cardboard for Younger. However even when he by no means wins his personal ring in school, he’ll have greater than sufficient accomplishments beneath his title. And regardless, everybody is aware of Younger gained’t be carried out after 2022. His subsequent cease — enjoying for Tremendous Bowls as a beginning NFL quarterback. How does he undertaking in that position?
- Place: Quarterback
- College: Alabama
- Present Yr: Junior
- Peak/Weight: 6’0″, 194 kilos
Bryce Younger scouting report
The battle for QB1 in the 2023 NFL Draft is an intense showdown. What does Younger deliver to the desk, and the way do the traits of the Alabama QB match up in opposition to his opponents?
Younger’s positives
Pure expertise is all the time considerable within the top QB prospects. That’s definitely the case for Younger. Younger has high-level arm expertise, persistently generates good velocity on throws, and has proven to push that velocity by all ranges. He has the tempo to get passes rapidly, particularly within the brief and intermediate ranges, and may keep that tempo on deep passes.
Younger has a fairly sturdy arm, however his arm elasticity is what actually generates enchantment. The Alabama QB’s arm could be very elastic, and he can throw from completely different arm angles whereas sustaining velocity technology. Furthermore, he’s capable of throw with straightforward velocity and accuracy off-platform. He’s a quick, versatile thrower who generates velocity from factors of discomfort. Younger may actively regulate his arm angle to widen throwing home windows and keep away from lurking rushers.
Past his arm expertise, Younger additionally brings elite creation capability. The Alabama QB is a quick-twitch athlete with wonderful suddenness, stop-and-start capacity, and elusiveness. He’s an amped-up, however managed runner who halts and generates momentum on demand, inflicting defenders to lurch. He can levy devastating cuts in open subject and lengthen working lanes for himself. He’s additionally very well-balanced between cuts, and instinctive when maneuvering away from contact. Going additional, Younger exhibits off nice burst and good pace.
As a subject normal, Younger exhibits promise as effectively. He’s proven to undergo progressions and course of leverages rapidly after touchdown on successive reads. The Alabama QB can persistently anticipate breaks and permit receivers time and area to work with. He processes in a short time off-script as effectively. Younger retains his eyes up on the transfer, and along with his uncanny full-field consciousness when improvising, he all the time has choices in thoughts. With this consciousness and his creation capability in tandem, Younger’s very harmful off-script.
Within the pocket, Younger can maintain his eyes ahead on the drop-back to freeze defenders, and at occasions, has proven to make use of eye manipulation. The Alabama QB mixes velocity and contact on his throws downfield with superior proficiency. He’s additionally capable of persistently lead his receivers upfield with velocity for run-after-catch. Even when obstructed by strain, Younger has proven to place the mandatory mixture of tempo and contact on his throws. He’s a persistently exact passer who can lead WRs away from contact.
Navigating the pocket, Younger has proven he could make delicate actions to maximise area and time, and lengthen alternatives. He senses strain effectively, and may traverse gaps rapidly when escaping contact and creating for himself. The Alabama QB can step up into open pockets to drive throws by home windows, and he usually makes use of his actual property when he has it.
Mechanically, Younger has a corrective failsafe that enables him to put his entrance foot precisely with stunning consistency, even when his drop-back is sloppy. He makes use of his quick toes and snappy short-area athleticism to habitually right his positioning. Younger routinely will get wonderful hip rotation, his launch is quick and crisp, and he’s versatile throughout a number of launch angles. He additionally actively manipulates the trajectory of his passes by tilting his entrance shoulder situationally, and has proven he can preserve his shoulders stage on rotation.
As a decision-maker, Younger can work by progressions and land on his checkdowns, and he’s additionally pretty calculated and decisive when selecting dangers to capitalize on. The Alabama QB has the wherewithal to throw the ball away when flushed out of the pocket and labored right into a nook. In the same vein, Younger’s confirmed himself to be very robust and poised. He can stand within the pocket with strain incoming and ship robust throws amidst contact. He’s additionally keen to promote out for essential good points.
Younger’s areas for enchancment
Younger is shorter and lighter than common, and whereas he hasn’t had sturdiness considerations but, it might probably be a supply of points within the NFL. That dimension threshold could also be Younger’s most urgent challenge within the 2023 NFL Draft cycle, however there are different imperfections past that.
Younger has a robust arm, however he doesn’t have elite arm energy. His velocity is sweet, however has a visual cap, and will be inconsistent. Younger additionally operates with a whole lot of schemed performs and predetermined reads by design, and he has room to change into a extra unbiased processor. There are occasions when Younger sticks to his first learn too lengthy. Conversely, he is also extra affected person at occasions and anticipate sure reads higher. General, Younger has room to achieve extra expertise and luxury with full-field reads and development work.
Off-platform, Younger’s accuracy and placement will be unstable, as his mechanics change into extra lopsided when rolling out. He typically abandons the pocket prematurely, eroding alternatives and creating unneeded chaos. Mechanically, Younger might enhance each throughout and on the conclusion of his drop-back. He typically releases proper on the drop and throws off his again foot. This may tug his entrance shoulder up, forcing passes excessive.
Going additional, Younger at occasions seems lackadaisical on the drop and will be late to reset his eyes because of this. Equally, he will be caught flat-footed, which may delay throws. Younger might be extra deliberate and exact along with his drop-back footwork, as his staggered toes can result in inconsistent throwing platforms.
Elsewhere, Younger is usually too regimented with designed throws and tries to drive passes even when choices are coated up. Often, he’ll additionally attempt to do an excessive amount of when extending performs.
Present draft projection for Alabama QB Bryce Younger
The QB1 battle between C.J. Stroud and Younger is really neck-and-neck. Simply as Stroud is an early first-round prospect and a possible candidate for the No. 1 general choose, so is Younger. The Alabama QB just isn’t solely elevated by his positional worth however a real first-round QB prospect with franchise upside.
There’s just a little bit extra uncertainty in Younger’s projection, after all. Younger has a a lot lighter body and will fall outdoors of some groups’ dimension thresholds. However as of now, that dimension is by far the most important challenge with Younger. He’s not an ideal prospect outdoors of that. He nonetheless has room to change into extra constant along with his mechanics and unbiased processing work. However already, there’s an especially thrilling basis to construct upon.
Younger’s arm is greater than sturdy sufficient to be a starter, and he additionally has an extremely elastic arm, capable of generate velocity from a number of arm angles. His creation capability is legitimately elite and makes him a continuing menace to increase performs and nullify early successes by a protection. Throw in his energetic anticipation, off-script consciousness, poise, pocket navigation, and pure accuracy, and it’s straightforward to be enamored by the potential.
In a means, it’s fascinating that Younger is already coming off a Heisman-winning marketing campaign, and his finest soccer could also be nonetheless to return. The Alabama QB completely matches the fashionable mildew of a franchise passer. He’s a high-level creator with capacity in rhythm and timing offenses as effectively. He has the potential to guide an NFL crew to prolonged success.
