Pro Day Journal, Alabama: Bryce Young Shines as NFL Looks On
For the next month and change, the question of who will be the Indianapolis Colts' next quarterback will dominate the team's narrative.
Most believe the answer to that question lies ahead in the 2023 NFL Draft, as C.J. Stroud, Bryce Young, Anthony Richardson, and Will Levis can all make a compelling argument to be picked within the first five selections.
On Thursday, the NFL world got a good look at one of these players as Young and many of his Alabama teammates took to the field at the Hank Crisp facility for their pro day.
Horseshoe Huddle's Rashaad McGinnis was in attendance and brings you his thoughts from the day.
– The Hank Crisp indoor facility was on fire Wednesday as media, coaches and scouts gathered from all over to watch the some of the best players in the country work out. Players like Young, defensive end Will Anderson (who did not work out), running back Jahmyr Gibbs, safety Brian Branch, and more all participated this afternoon.
– Young put on an absolute clinic. Not only was he throwing the deep ball well, but he was precise in the short to intermediate game. Early in the session, Young was using shorter throws to get into a rhythm This included stop routes, dump-offs to the flat, and quick outs. Afterwards, Young started throwing deep outs and seal balls with a free rusher running at him. He showed the ability to attack all levels of the field. Young ended his throwing session by firing some deep shots down the sideline. He missed two of those, but dropped about five or six throws in a bucket. Young silenced a lot of doubters who questioned why he didn’t throw at the NFL Scouting Combine.
– Gibbs looked absolutely awesome. He only did field work and that was enough to confirm exactly what he has shown on tape. Gibbs was very fluid running routes out of the backfield and displayed very soft hands.
– Branch has a certain confidence about him the way he walked around the facility. He backed it up with his field work, as he looked quick and very twitchy when he moves.
– Cornerback Eli Ricks had a mixed day. Ricks showed that he is very fast and that long frame he has can be an asset at the next level.
– Safety Jordan Battle looked very explosive in workouts. However, Battle looked a bit stiff turning his hips in field work.
– Offensive tackle Tyler Steen carries 315 pounds better than most people. He has very good lateral movement and showed great strength when asked to shoot his hands.
– NFL journeyman and former Alabama offensive lineman D.J. Fluker – the former 2013 NFL Draft pick – showed up to workout and was absolutely shredded. He looked a tad bit sloppy from a technical standpoint, which is to be expected when you haven’t played for a while. But the raw physical talent is still there and worth the league minimum.
