Bryce Young Earns First Round Grade From Former NFL Scout

Bryce Young showed dramatic improvement on his 2022 game film.

This Alabama quarterback showed the greatest one year improvement I’ve ever seen since I started scouting 30 years ago.

He went from looking like a seventh-round prospect on his 2021 game film, to being a magician this season.

I could hardly believe my eyes.

The turnaround was so astonishing, I even evaluated an extra game this season, but the results remained the same.

As I have said on the site, “It’s not about being right, it’s about getting them right,” and I am not too proud to adjust my grade and give credit where credit is due.

Game film trumps everything.

And now for my next act…

All of my greatest concerns vanished into thin air from my September article, “Bryce Young Headed To The CFL?“

He turned looking jittery in the pocket into looking in control.

He turned poor downfield ball placement into passes that were on point.

Young’s arm even looked stronger when he was pressed into putting some extra mustard on a couple of slant routes.

Even his deep game, “Presto!”

Now you see him and now you don’t

Young looked like Houdini in the pocket this past season.

He showed elite level instincts, mobility and escapability – – time after time.

Let me make one thing clear, Young is not a runner. He’s not anything like quarterbacks Lamar Jackson, Justin Fields, Michael Vick, Randall Cunningham or John Elway.

Young is one hell of a scrambler with eyes in the back of his head, but he is not a great runner.

He is not going to beat any NFL defenses with his feet as he is not fast or elusive enough by any stretch of the imagination.

However, when it comes to creating and extending plays, he’s one of the best I’ve ever seen.

Young will be the perfect fit for a team with a bad record

Traditionally, teams selecting in the top-10 had the worst records and some of the worst offensive lines the season before.

That’s how they got into the top-10.

Young will bring a lot of excitement and he will be a great fit with one of these teams because he is phenomenal at improvising.

Because of that, he will cover up weak spots in offensive personnel.

Young has some of the best potential I’ve ever seen to quickly turn around an NFL team that had a losing record in 2022.

Tough on coverages

One Mississippi…Two Mississippi…Three Mississippi…Four Mississippi…Five Mississippi…

That’s a long time for any secondary to be asked to cover receivers, and that’s how long Young extends some plays scrambling around like he’s Hall of Fame quarterback Fran Tarkenton.

Young thrives on extending plays and exploiting resulting coverage breakdowns.

His vastly improved downfield ball placement in these situations will be tough to defend.

#9 Bryce Young 6-foot-0, 194 pounds

Daniel Kelly’s Final 2023 NFL Draft Grade: First-Round (I would select him)

First Round Mock Big Board: TBD

Projected by 99.8% (down from 100% on September 12) of the NFL Draft Community to be a first-round pick as of December 30, 2022

2022 game film reviewed: Tennessee, Mississippi State, Texas and LSU (click to view games watched to form this evaluation)

Level of competition: High

2021 stats: 366/547 (66.9%) 4,872 yards (8.9 avg.), 47 TD, 7 INT., 39 sacks

2022 stats: 230/359 (64.1%) 3,007 yards (8.4 avg.), 27 TD, 5 INT., 16 sacks

Note: Won 2021 Heisman Trophy

Injury Note: Shoulder injury limited him during the 2022 season

2023 NFL Draft Scouting Report:

Athletic with instinctual ability to create and extend plays with decent arm strength and playing speed. Poised with command of the pocket with good ball handling skills. Confident. Inconsistent going through progressions and can lock in at times. Downfield minded. Has sixth sense for the pass rush. Moves around well and naturally climbs the pocket. Hard to sack. Uncanny knack of where to go with the ball. Touch passer with good ball placement at all three route levels (short, intermediate and deep). On point more often than not – even in tighter coverages. Struggled most with hardcore pressure in his face when he was forced to throw falling away. Unorthodox. Will toss a shovel pass or occasionally side arm it. Three risky passes thrown in these four games. Keeps the ball out of harms way. Tough but limited runner. Playmaker with high ceiling.

Final words

Look for Young to have a big rookie season in the NFL.

Daniel Kelly is a former NFL Scout with the New York Jets. He was hired on the regime which featured Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Scott Pioli, Mike Tannenbaum, and Dick Haley. He currently writes for Sports Illustrated New York Jets and he is the Editor-in-Chief for First Round Mock. For more information about him visit his website at whateverittakesbook.com. He can be followed on Twitter @firstroundmock.