Indianapolis Colts: The Case For Bryce Young
Traveling down to Tuscaloosa for Alabama’s pro day really solidified a lot of things for me. The most important was that quarterback Bryce Young is a phenomenal talent and will be an anomaly at the next level. But would he fit with the Indianapolis Colts?
Young has accomplished almost everything you can at arguably the most decorated collegiate program in college football history. In his two seasons as a starter, he has combined for 8,200 yards, 611 completions on 927 attempts, 79 touchdowns, and only 11 interceptions. His resume includes pretty much everything except for a National Championship, which he won, but not as a starter, in 2020.
When you analyze his game it’s easy to fall in love with Young. He does a lot of things well. From a technical standpoint, Young has good footwork and a quick, compact throwing motion that allows him to get the ball out quickly. He’s very accurate with his ball placement, often hitting receivers in stride and allowing them to have run-after-catch opportunities. He also processes very quickly; often times you can see the pre-determined plan he has before the snap but he often comes off that read and make a throw to another receiver who's open.
Young doesn't have the strongest arm by any means but has more than enough juice to fit the ball into tight windows and put it anywhere on the field. He also throws with great anticipation, including some of those out-breaking routes that he throws before the receiver even makes his break toward the sideline.
With those things being said, Young's most impressive attribute is his ability to feel pressure and escape. He does this consistently and keeps his eyes downfield to generate explosive plays. His ability to throw accurately off-platform is a huge advantage in these situations, consistently putting pressure on a secondary to hold on to assignments a lot longer than they anticipated. This particular ability is something you need to be an alien in today’s NFL, even when the defense is perfect there is still no answer.
As far as leadership goes, Young's teammates all speak very highly of him. Will Anderson said at Alabama's pro day that he “put 100% of his trust in Young to overcome his size limitations and be productive in the NFL”.
Young is so smart and works so hard at his craft, I expect him to gain the respect of his new NFL teammates very quickly as well.
He does have his concerns. Young is only 5’10" and slightly over 200 pounds. While some may be concerned with the height, I am more concerned with whether he’d be able to stay healthy and have a full career at that weight. I actually think at his height, he sees the field really well and attacks the middle of the field more than most quarterbacks his height.
Colts head coach Shane Steichen would most likely run boots and sprint out to change the launch point to allow Yung to operate without pressure in his face. Young has a strong enough arm and the eye deception to manipulate safeties and push the ball vertically in Steichen's offense, which is something he prioritizes.
While it would be highly unlikely that Young falls to the Colts at the fourth overall pick (or third), if he did, he would be the ideal fit. Due to his size, the Colts and general manager Chris Ballard may see him as QB3, but there's not a doubt in my mind when you play the tape and watch that Young is the best quarterback in the 2023 NFL Draft.
