Bryce Young offers impressive answer to criticisms about his size
If the Carolina Panthers are falling in love with Bryce Young, it’s not difficult to see why.
The University of Alabama quarterback, and current favorite to be selected atop the 2023 NFL draft, joined Wednesday’s episode of ESPN’s First Take. When asked by host Stephen A. Smith how he would respond to criticisms about his size, Young gave an eloquent and—perhaps for some who are invested—soothing answer.
“I think it’s valid,” he replied. “I get it. I think everyone’s entitled to their own opinion. But for me, I’m capable of what I’m capable of. I know who I am. I’ve been playing with a lot of people that have been bigger than me my entire life. I’ve always been the smaller one on the field. And I know that’s not gonna change at the next level and it’s something I’m super used to.
“So I think—especially in the next level—it’s about how quickly you can process, how well you can make a right decision, how well you can get the ball out of your hands and get it into a playmaker’s hands. So that’s something that I pride myself in and I’m ready for that challenge at the next level. I’m not looking to run a bunch of people over at the next level or anything like that. But be more efficient with the ball. And, again, I’m used to playing around people that are much bigger, so it’s not gonna be anything new for me.”
Young came into the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine at 5-foot-10 and 204 pounds. That frame makes him the smallest quarterback to ever be considered this high in the draft.
But for those considering him, particularly Panthers general manager Scott Fitterer, there are ways to build on size.
“I think nutritionally, we can do some things to educate him,” he said during Tuesday’s pre-draft press conference. “Get him in the weight room. You can see, when you really look at his lower body, his lower body has gotten bigger. He’s put on a lot of mass down there. Lot of times, quarterbacks don’t wanna lift upper body because you get bound up.
“But there’s some things—he’s gonna naturally put on size as he ages as well. Again, going back to Russ—I think he came out at maybe . . . might’ve been 206 pounds. He’s at 220 now. Guys just grow. That’s something he can control. That’s something we can help him with. We can’t control the height.”
What’s at the very top of that height is also something that can’t necessarily be controlled. And luckily for Young, and maybe for the Panthers, that’s obviously quite an advantage.
