Yes, we know, size matters in football. Right now, it’s important to Chicago bear and all NFL teams may want to trade for their #1 draft pick, which is important for others to pick high and covet a midfielder, and it’s certainly important for Young Bryceas much as he certainly wished it didn’t.
But while football’s obsession with height and massiveness is largely built on historical know-how and a little science, there’s also a lot of dimension nonsense surrounding Young and the others. prospects on his enlistment day, with the 21-year-old player Alabama QB has seen its stock suddenly come into question due to concerns about feet, inches, and pounds.
Let’s start with the measurements. Young is 5 feet 10 and 1/8 inches and 204 pounds, official numbers ranked at last week’s NFL Combine in Indianapolis. He was listed at 6 feet even by Bama, a very common inflation tactic used by colleges for whatever reason. Most observers think the scale reading from Indy may have been a bit generous, fueled by some deliberate overconsumption and sustained water weight over the past few weeks.
As a result, fellow QBs CJ Stroud, Anthony Richardson And Will Levis is on the upswing, and Young, 2021 Heisman Trophy winner with a college record of 24-3, may be on the downswing – though no one is quite sure, and won’t happen until draft night .
“I’ve had this size, respectfully, my whole life,” Young told reporters at the factory. “I know who I am. I know what I can do. For me, I think it’s fair; people can speculate and ask any questions necessary. I will continue to control what happens. I will continue to work my hardest to put myself in a good position I am confident in myself I know what I can do I am excited to reach the next level according to.”
Bryce Young defends her height at the NFL Combine
Colin Cowherd explains why Young’s height is worrisome.
What else could he say? Height isn’t something he can do anything with, so should he continue the story and say, “No, I’m not going to be a good NFL quarterback and you certainly aren’t. should choose me?”
The reason the size factor gets out of control is because it becomes based on lazy and selective logic. It’s used as a notability criterion when players get stuck and is ignored when they don’t.
Take care of Kyler Murray. Murray heard all the same taunts and questions before he was picked with the No. 1 pick in 2019. Arizona Cardinals QB is the same height as Young and weighs a few pounds more. In the end, the Cardinals still decided to pick him, after which he had three excellent seasons, before a hugely disappointing season in 2022, when Arizona won 4-13.
This is scrub. If Murray’s year comes in his first campaign, criticism will focus on his size. Oh, he’s not big enough for the NFL, so the conversation is going to be skewed. The biggest flaw with the size argument is that it only seems to matter when the people making the case want it.
By any measurable fact, Young was an outstanding football player. Can hate Alabama, as so many people do, but still enjoy watching him play. His Heisman is undisputed. He threw 4,872 yards and 47 touchdowns as a sophomore and 3,328 and 32 as a senior.
The internet is full of videos that show his composure and feel for the game, highlighting his ability to pull off impossible plays, often in times of stress and high pressure.
According to The Ringer, since 1970, only three QBs listed at 6 feet or less have been taken in the first round. Two of them are Michael Vick and Murray, which seems to bode well. But what about the other – Johnny Manziel? OK, now let’s be fair, can we really assume that Manziel’s inability to enter the tournament is due to his height or perhaps more to do with erratic behavior and a tumultuous personal life. his movements?
The scope of the size debate continues to be confusing. Russell Wilson and Drew Brees didn’t fit the mold of the archetypal QB and had exceptional careers, winning the Super Bowl. Remember JaMarcus Russell, the #1 pick in 2007? His height and weight left the reviewers on edge, but that didn’t help him in the long run.
Bryce Young & CJ Stroud among Joel Klatt’s Top 5 QBs in the 2023 NFL Draft
Joel Klatt has revealed his top 5 quarterback list for the 2023 NFL Draft.
Some have suggested that Brees was able to remedy his lack of height because he has unusually large hands, another silly variable that thankfully didn’t happen this year, nor last year with Kenny Pickett.
What really matters before the draft is that Young is a player with a rare and highly developed sense of the game. He’s mobile and elusive, comfortable in his pocket or outside of it, and generally unfazed.
He has a level of intelligence and vision found nowhere else in this draft. Houston, second pick, Indianapolis (4th), Las Vegas (7th) and Atlanta (8th) can all talk about picking Young. Or, if the conversation about size hits their head, tell them yourself.
After all, he’s a first-rate prospect, one of the best players to come out of college football in his position in recent years. He wins on the field, if not in the face of a tape measure. That’s why size should definitely be part of the conversation, but not the overwhelming fixation it currently has.
Martin Rogers is a columnist for FOX Sports and the author of the FOX Sports Insider newsletter. Follow him on Twitter @MRogersFOX And Sign up for the daily newsletter.
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