PFF's ranking of Panthers QB Bryce Young flies in the face of their own numbers

PFF should listen to their own metrics more often.

Dec 29, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) and running back Raheem Blackshear (3) prior to the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young was a revelation when he returned to the lineup last year. After a brief hiatus on the bench, he looked like a new player. No one knows that better than PFF, whose advanced metrics and analytics paint the picture of how good he was much better than a box score ever could.

They have all the data on how incredible he was last season. By looking at a box score or team record, you'd be forgiven if you didn't quite understand the hype behind his finish, but PFF has much more than that. That's why their ranking of him is so strange.

They put him 20th out of all NFL quarterbacks, but their justification is odd. They still have him in the tier of players who are young and can still become something, ranked behind Bo Nix. They pointed out that he was the 13th-best QB per their own grade after his return in Week 8.

That's 10 weeks of elite football, yet he isn't higher on their list. "[Young had] an 83.2 overall mark over that 10-game stretch. It’s a limited sample, so caution is warranted — but leading the NFL with a 7.7% big-time throw rate while posting just a 2.3% turnover-worthy play rate is an impressive combination. The 2025 season will be pivotal in proving that the breakout wasn’t just a flash in the pan."

It's fair to wonder whether he's a flash in the pan or not, but that sample size isn't miniscule and it is elite. If they're not convinced he is a good player and won't regress, then why rank him near the top of this tier that includes Drake Maye and Caleb Williams?

It's admittedly very difficult to determine what Young is and where he should rank. On the one hand, his most recent 10 games were elite and borderline top-10 or better QB in the NFL level. On the other hand, his other 16 games were mediocre at best and awful at worst. But PFF, the analytic outlet that has access to unprecedented data, should have a better ability to rank than most.

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