The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of Bryce Young's Rookie Season

Breaking down Young's maiden NFL season.

Author:
Matt Alquiza
Jan 8, 2024 10:00 AM EST

In this story:

When considering the sheer volume of picks and players it took the Panthers to move up and draft Bryce Young, his rookie year was always going to be divisive. No matter where you are on the like-dislike spectrum of the move, you have ammunition from the 2023 season to prove your point. Let’s look at Young’s rookie season from all angles.

The Good

Toughness

Bryce Young has been tough as hell this season. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. Young was sacked sacked over 60 times this season, the second most in the league. He has spent more time getting picked up by his offensive linemen than he has in a clean pocket.

Young’s biggest detractors in the pre-draft process pointed towards his size as his biggest downfall. Many of them may be correct. His svelte stature does limit his potential compared to quarterbacks with more ideal size, but Young’s lack of height and weight hasn’t hurt him in the injury department. Young has had guys double his size bearing down on him all season and he will end the season having played 17 games, more than any other rookie quarterback.

Extending plays

Part of this is because Young has been running for his life more often than not, but his escapability has been impressive.

He wasn’t lauded as a runner coming into the NFL, but his 229 rushing yards this season are more than he ran for in three college seasons combined. Young has proven himself as elusive, and economical when he takes off on the ground. He’ll never be a weapon in the running game like a Lamar Jackson or a Justin Fields, but he’s shown enough mobility that it is something defenses must prepare for.

Maturity

This was never a question mark for Young, but it has been on full display if you’ve watched any of his post-game or mid-week interviews. No matter how bad the Panthers offense looked, no matter how beaten up he may have been during the game, Young always takes accountability and promises to work harder and play better. His maturity as a 21-year-old in the NFL is admirable and something that truly can’t be taught.

Downfield accuracy

Young has had a hard time corralling his pass attempts 20+ yards downfield. Too often when Young had a man running free in the secondary (which, to be fair to him, wasn’t that often), Young overthrew his intended target. Specifically, Jonathan Mingo and Young were unable to connect on multiple chances for big plays throughout the season.

For an offense that lacked both playmakers and creativity for most of the season, Young’s inability to be an accurate deep passer handicapped an already crippled offense.

Elevating his playmakers

When an organization trades multiple picks and a Pro Bowl player for a quarterback, they expect that quarterback to elevate the talent around him. Bryce Young was labeled as a “point guard” type quarterback by the Carolina front office, and every good point guard sets his teammates up for open shots for the offense to thrive.

Young was unable to do that most of the season.

Yes, the offensive line was leaky. Yes, the skill position players couldn’t separate. But also, Young missed way too many lay-up throws that could have led to his playmakers running into open space.

There was talk all season about Young’s inconsistent, jittery footwork and how it affected his accuracy. Young’s believers better hope that 17 games behind the Panthers’ poor offensive line didn’t damage Young’s confidence in the pocket for good.

The Ugly

Young’s statistics and historical comparisons

Among quarterbacks who threw at least 300 passes this season, Young is going to finish dead last or second to last in all major advanced statistics.

DYAR (defense-adjusted yards over replacement (the value of the quarterback's performance compared to replacement level, adjusted for situation and opponent and then translated into yardage, per FTN Fantasy), YAR (the same stat, just not opponent adjusted), DVOA (Defense-adjusted value over average), VOA, quarterback rating, EPA/play (estimated points added per play), and success rate.

According to ANY/A (adjusted net yards per attempt) Young’s season behind center is the 5th worst of all time by any quarterback.

The historical comparisons are bad. First round picks that have a year like Young are more likely to turn into the Josh Rosens and Brandon Weedens of the world than not. However, massive turnarounds from year one to year two have happened, and it’s possible for Young as well. The fourth quarter of week 15 against Atlanta and the second half of week 16 against Green Bay breed hope for what Young can eventually become.

A new head coach, a new set of pass catchers, and a revamped offensive line are the ingredients of a medicinal cocktail that can turn around the career of Bryce Young and bring out the best in 2023’s number one overall pick.