Short quarterbacks and the NFL: two things that usually don’t mix well.
There are a few exceptions in recent history — Drew Brees, Russell Wilson, and Kyler Murray (who the jury is still out on), for instance — though shortest quarterback in the 2023 NFL draft, Bryce Young, is widely considered to be the number one pick according to most mock drafts.
The Alabama prospect won the the Heisman Trophy in 2021 and amounted for 86 total touchdowns and 8,385 total yards in two years as a college starter.
According to ESPN’s Todd McShay, a scout told him that Young, listed at six feet tall, actually measures in at 5-foot-10 1/2.
“I love Bryce Young, I really do,” McShay told Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. “I know he’s 195 pounds; a really good friend of mine who’s a scout had him at 5-10 1/2.
“But I met with him, I’ve talked to him. He’s special. He’s different. He has the poise, the presence in the pocket, the playmaking, everything else you want.
“I absolutely love Bryce Young. I would bet on him.”
“If I’m a GM, I’m scared to death of drafting him,” he added.
Young would be one of the shortest signal callers in the league, second to Murray who sits at 5-foot-10 and has been punctured with injuries so far in his young NFL career.
Wilson, the Broncos star, is listed at 5-11.
Young missed one game in October after an injury to his right (throwing) shoulder after a seemingly unextraordinary tackle.
Aside from his physical attributes, Young’s quarterbacking talent is indisputable.
McShay compared the prospect to Patrick Mahomes earlier this month.
“Bryce Young is a smaller version of Patrick Mahomes,” McShay said on Feb. 17. “The presence in the pocket, the ability to feel pressure coming, the ability to see the whole field and make all the throws with good touch and timing … he is different from these other guys.”
Even if Young is able to put on weight to hover around the 200 pound mark, height concerns will linger.
Fear of his height hasn’t minimized expectations of the former 5-star recruit thus far in his career. From playing top-tier competition at one of the best high school programs in the country in Mater Dei to facing some of the most daunting college football defenses in the SEC, Young’s height hasn’t restricted his elite playing ability quite yet.
That being said, the NFL is a different beast. If he manages to transition smoothly, he has the skillset to be a true game-changer.
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