In the coming days and weeks, our attention here at Southbound & Down will begin to shift toward the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft, which will take place from April 27-29. As we prepare to preview some of the conference’s top players available in the 2023 NFL Draft as well, what better place to start than with Alabama quarterback Bryce Young, a player who could end up being the No. 1 overall pick?
SEC 2023 NFL Draft Preview: Alabama QB Bryce Young
Young originally came to Alabama as a member of the Crimson Tide’s 2020 recruiting class, ranked as the No. 2 overall player in the country, as well as No. 1 overall quarterback, out of Mater Dei in California, which is one of the nation’s top high school football teams.
Once in Tuscaloosa, the highly-touted five-star would originally begin his collegiate career as the backup to Mac Jones on Alabama’s 2020 national championship winning team, completing 59.1% of his passes for 156 yards and a touchdown across seven games. With Jones moving on the NFL at the conclusion of that season, Young would win the starting job entering the 2021 season, and would go on to post a breakout sophomore campaign that is one of the most memorable seasons from a quarterback in Alabama history.
In 2021, Young would complete 66.9% of his passes for an SEC-leading 4,872 yards with a 47:7 TD:INT ratio, which resulted in numerous awards and honors, headlined by becoming Alabama’s first quarterback to win the Heisman Trophy. Young would then back that up with yet another strong season this past fall as a junior, completing 64.5% of his passes for 3,328 yards and a 32:5 TD:INT ratio to finish sixth in Heisman voting.
Declaring for the 2023 NFL Draft after his junior season, Young leaves Tuscaloosa as one of the greatest quarterbacks in Alabama football history, passing for a total of 8,356 yards with a career 65.8 CMP% and 80:12 TD:INT ratio.
A phenomenal collegiate career by the numbers alone, where will the former five-star now be selected in the 2023 NFL Draft as a result of it, and why could Young be taken at that potential pick?
Strengths
One of the top quarterbacks available in the 2023 NFL Draft, the strengths of Young’s game are evident whenever watching the Alabama signal caller, with arguably the most notable being his arm talent. Young has one of the strongest arms of any quarterback in college football, and is a very accurate passer as well, both in-and-out of the pocket, combined with strong decision making as a passer, which is evident by only 12 career interceptions at Alabama.
Another big strength for Young is his movement within the pocket, as the junior has the ability to buy time, as well as create a better throwing lane to a receiver by moving around with ease. Young is certainly capable of the running the ball as well, especially when the pocket breaks down.
Question Marks
When it comes to potential question marks surrounding Young’s transition to the NFL, arguably the only real question comes via his size at 6-foot, 194 pounds. Regardless of that, there aren’t very many questions surrounding Young’s game, making it obvious as to why the Alabama junior is fully in the conversation for the No. 1 overall pick.
Potential Draft Range
As for Young’s potential draft range, it feels unlikely that the Alabama quarterback falls past the No. 5 overall pick. A few of the teams to watch for in this range include the Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts, as well as a few others that could potentially trade up to select the Alabama signal caller.
Draft Prediction
Alabama QB Bryce Young will be selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, with a team potentially trading up for the pick.