The general consensus seems to be that Bryce Young will be the first pick of the draft, but it’s early. Let’s see where things stand after Young is measured at the combine.
Young put up big numbers at Alabama, but he’s a smaller, slighter guy. The school has him listed at 6-foot and 194 pounds. Reports suggest he’s even smaller (perhaps down at 5-foot-10 and 186 pounds). If that’s accurate, it will scare off some NFL teams, and make others unlikely to put together a big trade package to move up into the No. 1 spot in the draft.
C.J. Stroud of Ohio State also put up big numbers in college, and he comes in a more prototypical size. The Buckeyes have him listed at 6-foot-3 and 218 pounds.
In the last 10 years, there have been six smaller quarterbacks chosen in the first round, and the hit average on these guys hasn’t been great. Baker Mayfield, Johnny Manziel and Zach Wilson at this point can officially be called blown draft picks. Kyler Murray and Tua Tagovailoa have had some success, but their long-time futures are still being debated.
(Teddy Bridgewater is a little different, having been the last pick of the first round.)
I think it’s early to be assuming Young will be the first player chosen.
| SMALLER QUARTERBACKS IN FIRST ROUND | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Pk | Player | School | Ht | Wt |
| 2014 | 22 | Johnny Manziel | Texas A&M | 6.00 | 207 |
| 2014 | 32 | Teddy Bridgewater | Louisville | 6.02 | 214 |
| 2018 | 1 | Baker Mayfield | Oklahoma | 6.01 | 215 |
| 2019 | 1 | Kyler Murray | Oklahoma | 5.10 | 207 |
| 2020 | 5 | Tua Tagovailoa | Alabama | 6.00 | 217 |
| 2021 | 2 | Zach Wilson | Brigham Young | 6.02 | 214 |
| 2023 | ? | Bryce Young | Alabama | ? | ? |
—Ian Allan