School: Virginia Tech (2019-2020), Tennessee (2021-2022)

Position: QB

Year: Redshirt Senior

The Good: In some years’ QB classes – including last year – Hooker would be the best pure thrower in the group. He’s very accurate with superb ball placement, and he throws to the intermediate areas of the field on a pretty line and the deep areas with proper loft. He might be the best deep passer in this Draft, and whoever drafts him will likely aim to take advantage of that skill right away. Hooker is just generally smooth and operates extremely quickly. He stands tall in the pocket, has a beautiful release, and by all accounts crushed his interviews at the Senior Bowl. He certainly has the look of a franchise quarterback.

The Bad: Part of Hooker’s look is that of a total statue in the pocket. There isn’t much pre-snap operation in his game right now and he can tend to lock onto his first read, so when defenses mess with that then Hooker has a tendency to freeze up. He’s mechanically dependent, which isn’t much of an issue when he has blocking in front of him and receivers getting open. It’s just one facet of many where Hooker lacks creativity though. Hooker needs his whole body to work in line to get enough juice on the ball, and he rarely completes passes whenever he breaks the pocket. Hooker ran with the ball a good amount in college but I don’t see that as much a part of his game in the NFL, especially after tearing his ACL. He obviously had a stellar final season at Tennessee, but his showdown against Georgia left a lot to be desired.

The Bottom Line: Josh Heupel has built an offensive juggernaut at Tennessee, which unfortunately does make it a bit harder to evaluate his players independent of the ideal surroundings. There are constantly guys wide open all over the field, and there are a good amount of snap throws built into the scheme that inflate stats as well. Still, I have some confidence that Hooker is independently a solid quarterback almost purely on the basis of his right arm. He wasn’t exactly a world beater at Tennessee like his numbers and record would indicate, and I don’t expect him to be one in the NFL either. But if a team is looking for a game-ready passer for its system – assuming Hooker is healthy by the start of the season – then he could be that guy. It could easily be construed as a negative that Hooker has already turned 25, but it feels like a case is emerging that seasoned QB prospects are better suited for rookie contracts than their younger counterparts. Hooker could make for an intriguing alternative to, say, signing Jimmy Garoppolo for any team picking near the bottom of Round 1 or top half of Round 2.

Grade: Second Round

Pro Comp: Derek Carr

Games Watched:

• South Carolina 2021
• Alabama 2021
• Florida 2022
• LSU 2022
• Alabama 2022
• Georgia 2022

Plays That Matter [LINK]

School: Pittsburgh (2020-2021), USC (2022)

Position: WR

Year: Junior

The Good: Jordan Addison definitely produced as well as any WR in this class during his college career, winning the Biletnikoff Award as a sophomore at Pitt before transferring to USC for a limited yet successful follow-up season as a junior. Addison is a good athlete; he’s a silky mover who often looks like he’s gliding, and he’s plenty elusive with the ball in his hands. He’s fluid too, whether he’s flipping his hips on a quick hitter or contorting his body while going up for a ball. He’s natural for the position, with good timing to highpoint balls and feel for soft spots of zone coverages. He can confuse DBs by adjusting his tempo on routes, leading to a bunch of his big plays on tape.

The Bad: Addison is 175lbs and plays like it, I’ll just put it that way. He has some rough tape dealing with press coverage and NFL DBs will certainly attack him at the line of scrimmage. He’s not even particularly quick off the line, and his releases on everything but go-balls are ordinary right now and even ugly on occasion. Addison is going to need to get more creative and nuanced to survive at the next level. Even once Addison gets into his route, he can struggle against tight man coverage. His speed certainly isn’t an issue but it’s not the top-end speed that you typically see for WRs of his weight entering the NFL. Just purely as a pass catcher, Addison has mostly reliable hands but they aren’t the strongest mitts, and he’s better at adjusting to off-target throws that sail high rather than anything wide or low. His tackle breaking ability and impact as a blocker are minimal.

The Bottom Line: Clearly, I have skepticism over Addison staying afloat at the next level. Honestly, I even feel like there’s an element of certainty that Addison will get bullied because we’ve already seen it happen to him lined up across from NFL quality cornerbacks, like Clark Phillips of Utah. There are certainly ways for teams to mitigate physical concerns over Addison; he’s capable of lining up outside and in the slot. Also, I’ve been wrong about lighter WRs before as the game continues to adapt in favor of offensive rules over defensive rules. Still, I’d be hard pressed to remember a less physical wideout who lists near the top of positional rankings. Stats are stats but it’s worth noting for a “production over tools” prospect like Addison that his numbers came out of two elite offenses with the nation’s best QB in each respective season. (And some of the DBs that he cooked, especially in the ACC, aren’t going to play on Sundays any time soon.) Remember the way some people talked about DeVonta Smith and his weight going into that Draft? That discourse is actually justified in the case of Addison this year.

Grade: Second Round

Pro Comp: Russell Gage

Games Watched:

• Western Michigan 2021
• Virginia Tech 2021
• Duke 2021
• Stanford 2022
• Utah 2022
• UCLA 2022
• Utah 2022 (PAC12 Championship Game)

Plays That Matter [LINK]

School: Michigan (2019-2020), UCLA (2021-2022)

Position: RB

Year: Senior

The Good: Zach Charbonnet has the makings of a bell cow running back in the NFL, and not just because he’s 6’1”, 220lbs. Charbonnet is a downhill runner who hits the proper holes blocked in front of him at a nearly perfect rate. His vision is remarkably impressive, and that combined with his decisiveness leads to more big runs than you’d expect from a RB of Charbonnet’s profile. Charbonnet isn’t exactly a bruiser in the mold of Derrick Henry, but he is money in short yardage situations and can still wear out a defense over the course of a game. In the open field, Charbonnet displays excellent balance – both natural and upon contact – and his athleticism is underrated for his size. On zone runs, Charbonnet’s patience is on full display when he runs in unison with his blockers at the second level of a defense. He also might be the best pass protecting RB in this class; no blitzer is getting through him.

The Bad: My listed pros for Charbonnet far surpass the cons, but the main thing working against him is a key one: Charbonnet is not fast. If he runs a 4.55 40 at the Combine, he’ll probably be content with that. That isn’t a killer by any means; I’d actually contend that raw speed means less for RBs than it once did. Still, it reduces margin for error in the NFL. Like I wrote in the above section, Charbonnet is a good athlete but he definitely doesn’t move as well laterally as he does going north/south. He’s also somewhat clunky as a receiver. His hands aren’t bad and I thought he improved from his junior to senior year, but he’ll always be more of a pure runner than a dual threat. 

The Bottom Line: Charbonnet is an exciting prospect because he’s that good of a runner. When a RB hits the Draft who’s as physical, naturally gifted AND smart as Charbonnet, he usually pans out at the next level. He just gets the ins and outs of playing running back beyond the required athleticism to do it. It’s worth noting that Charbonnet excelled as a senior in an offense run by Chip Kelly with a great offensive line in front of him but…1) Charbonnet would have been a fairly high pick had he declared last year… 2) he did improve from his junior to senior year like you’d expect… 3) he averaged at least 5.0 yards per carry in all 10 games last season. Regardless of your surroundings, that doesn’t happen unless you know what you’re doing carrying the rock. I don’t know if he’ll keep up that trend in the NFL, but Charbonnet is a Day 1 starter as a rookie and has a high floor to go along with a high ceiling.

Grade: Late First Round / Early Second Round

Pro Comp: Arian Foster

Games Watched:

• LSU 2021
• Washington 2021
• Bowling Green 2022
• Washington 2022
• Utah 2022
• Oregon 2022
• USC 2022

Plays That Matter [LINK]

School: Georgia Tech (2020-2021), Alabama (2022)

Position: RB

Year: Junior

The Good: Gibbs is exceptionally quick; that’s the bread-and-butter of his game. His jukes are straight out of Madden, and he’ll have above average speed for the NFL too. Gibbs will immediately become one of the best receiving backs in the league once he signs his first contract. I try not to harp too much on pass catching when it comes to RB evaluation, but it’s a real strength for Gibbs. He’s a dynamic route runner who’s practically unrecoverable in man coverage out of the backfield, and he can line up anywhere. Gibbs is a good team player on offense too, whether in pass protection or working to get open after the play breaks down.

The Bad: I flat out don’t view Gibbs as a very good runner. He certainly isn’t cut out to run between the tackles in the NFL, and I’d like to imagine even Gibbs’ biggest supporters would agree with that assessment. His vision is narrow and Gibbs struggles to get through holes cleanly when he does find them. He too often runs without a plan and there are too many negative runs on his tape due to hesitation upon receiving the ball or happy feet in the backfield. Gibbs is on the lighter side and his frame looks mostly filled out, so I don’t expect him to run through many tackles in the NFL. He’s relatively easy to bring down right now and he takes way too many shots; Gibbs needs to learn to contort his body to both avoid contact and brace for it. He’s also a one speed runner, so you’ll see him slip on tape when he tries to change up his tempo.

The Bottom Line: I alluded to it earlier, but my grading of running backs is heavily weighted in running ability and all of the other stuff is secondary. Naturally, I’m lower on Gibbs than the consensus. He can certainly become a weapon for an offense in the NFL, and he has his fair share of explosive plays on tape. He is somewhat of a one-year wonder though, and he did it behind an Alabama offensive line that had mile-wide lanes carved out on some of his longest runs. Gibbs’ future is certainly as the shiftier half of a running back duo, and even then I’m skeptical that he’ll withstand 10 carries per game from both efficiency and physical standpoints. It’s possible that his game evolves and he becomes a Tony Pollard type but…1) I’d say that’s like a 90th percentile outcome for Gibbs and 2) I like Pollard a lot, but I don’t even know if he was a first round player.

Grade: Late Second Round / Early Third Round

Pro Comp: Jerick McKinnon

Games Watched:

• Utah State 2022
• Texas 2022
• Arkansas 2022
• Texas A&M 2022
• Tennessee 2022
• LSU 2022

Plays That Matter [LINK]

School: Texas

Position: RB

Year: Junior

The Good: Bijan Robinson has the start-and-stop ability of a 120 pound man, let alone a 220 pound man. His cutting is truly second-to-none among RB prospects that I’ve evaluated over the past few years, and his balance is nearly as special too. Bijan can get remarkably skinny for a back of his size and he can maintain near top speed while angling his body to hit a hole or make defenders miss. Those elements of his game, plus his ability to hit top speed in a second, make Bijan an ideal fit for a zone scheme where he can patiently seek his first cut and get to the next levels of defenses. He has a full arsenal of moves in the open field that includes a tight spin, and he’s got plenty of leg strength to carry defenders and deflect anyone who tries to tackle him low. As a receiver, Bijan has really smooth hands and the body control of a natural WR. He accumulated 600 career touches at Texas and has the build to maintain a full workload in the NFL too. 

The Bad: Bijan’s vision certainly isn’t an issue compared to most other NFL hopefuls at RB, but he’s unique in that he’s almost too overactive in scanning the field then reacting accordingly. He can stand to improve in trusting his blockers and allowing things to develop in front of him. There are plenty of examples on tape where Bijan curtails a developing run to cut back, often into the muck between the tackles. You also find moments on tape where Bijan hesitates in the backfield and passes up gaps that could be hit with urgency upon receiving the ball. He’ll even bypass fairly obvious opportunities to bounce runs at times, which is normally a *good* habit but admittedly frustrating for a RB with his talent. Bijan was surprisingly ineffective in short yardage and goal line situations at Texas; maybe that had something to do with apprehension for pre-draft injuries – which would be valid – but nonetheless it’s something to keep an eye on in the NFL. Outside of the run game, Bijan’s route tree doesn’t exist too far outside of wheels and screens. He’s also generally inconsistent with technique and subpar with recognition in pass protection. 

The Bottom Line: Rather than a grand statement on the value of running backs or something along those lines, I’d rather write here about a lesson learned in NFL Draft evaluation and how it applies to Bijan Robinson. One of my worst misses was a relatively low grade on Micah Parsons; I loved his burst and tenacity but had concerns about his discipline and other factors that go into being a successful off-ball linebacker. I didn’t think big enough about how an NFL team could leverage his traits compared to how Penn State did. There are similar outcomes on the contrary too, like with Isaiah Simmons in Arizona. The point is that I could zero in on the potential shortcomings in Bijan’s game and worry what his career will look like if he’s drafted into a situation where his team prioritizes maximizing his touches over offensive efficiency, like with Saquon Barkley or Najee Harris. I’m not going to outright ignore that possibility or his weaknesses – and thus his below grade reflects that – but I will allow myself to get more excited about Bijan’s skillset ending up in the right situation than I had before.

Grade: Mid First Round

Pro Comp: Edgerrin James

Games Watched:

• Oklahoma 2021
• Oklahoma State 2021
• Iowa State 2021
• Alabama 2022
• UTSA 2022
• Oklahoma 2022
• Kansas State 2022

Plays That Matter [LINK]

This page will continuously update as I evaluate more prospects and write profiles.

Quarterbacks:

Bryce Young

CJ Stroud

Will Levis

Anthony Richardson

Hendon Hooker

Running Backs:

Bijan Robinson

Jahmyr Gibbs

Zach Charbonnet

Wide Receivers:

Jordan Addison

Quentin Johnston

Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Jalin Hyatt

Josh Downs

Zay Flowers

Tight Ends:

Michael Mayer

Darnell Washington

Dalton Kincaid

Luke Musgrave

Offensive Tackles:

Peter Skoronski

Paris Johnson Jr.

Broderick Jones

Darnell Wright

Anton Harrison

Dawand Jones

Interior Offensive Linemen:

O’Cyrus Torrence

Cody Mauch

Steve Avila

John Michael Schmitz

Joe Tippmann

EDGEs:

Will Anderson

Tyree Wilson

Myles Murphy

Lukas Van Ness

Nolan Smith

Will McDonald

BJ Ojulari

Felix Anudike-Uzomah

Adetomiwa Adebawore

Defensive Tackles:

Jalen Carter

Bryan Bresee

Calijah Kancey

Mazi Smith

Keeanu Benton

Linebackers:

Drew Sanders

Trenton Simpson

Jack Campbell

Cornerbacks:

Christian Gonzalez

Deonte Banks

Devon Witherspoon

Joey Porter Jr.

Cam Smith

Emmanuel Forbes

DJ Turner

Kelee Ringo

Safeties:

Brian Branch

School: Florida

Position: QB

Year: Redshirt Sophomore

The Good: Someone who knows the bare minimum about football can take one look at Anthony Richardson and say, “yup.” That’s how much Richardson looks the part, and his physical running style matches his size. Richardson is a true dual-threat QB; he’ll immediately become one of the league’s more lethal runners at the position and he can hum a 101 MPH fastball with such a quick release. He’s got the full package of mobility: scrambling, play extension, evading sacks, and throwing on rollouts. I was pleasantly surprised by Richardson’s intangibles given his “project” label. He’s willing to stand tall in the pocket, has a good sense of timing, and is smooth when given plays to work through progressions. He rarely puts the ball in harm’s way too, whether that’s because he throws the ball away or takes off running. When things are going right for Richardson – which isn’t that uncommon on tape – he has the look of the first overall pick.

The Bad: That said, I wouldn’t endorse taking Richardson with the first overall pick. I write it annually around this time of year that “raw” is my least favorite adjective to describe prospects, but it’s valid in Richardson’s case. He’s young, both literally at 21 years old on Draft Day and figuratively with only one season as a full-time college starter. You can tell that he’s green when he misses open throws, goes overboard with velocity, and struggles throwing to certain areas of the field; I think that could all sort itself out just with more reps. There are parts of his game that will require improvement with more than just patience. His mechanics are inconsistent; Richardson will unnecessarily drop his arm slot and lose accuracy – and he’s not particularly accurate to begin with. His pocket management needs work too, which is my biggest concern with Richardson as I continue to prioritize that skill more and more in my QB evaluation. He currently doesn’t do his offensive line many favors, as Richardson will routinely settle in unfavorable spots in the pocket, bail when he should step up and vice versa, and hold onto the ball when there is a hot read. Lastly, while I push back on this becoming a barometer of NFL readiness, Richardson didn’t give Florida much of a chance vs. Georgia in 2022 while CJ Stroud, Will Levis, and Bryce Young (twice) each handled themselves well against the Bulldogs. 

The Bottom Line: I’m definitely a fan of Richardson, which candidly I didn’t expect given my general outlook on quarterbacks and the way that the Draft community is talking about him. Context is important for every prospect, and I think it’s especially important in Richardson’s case. I hated Florida’s scheme and playcalling in 2022, with Billy Napier and Rob Sale (offensive line coach of 2021 Giants) taking over from Dan Mullen. Their WRs were also mediocre and Richardson faced constant pressure around his tackles, which he was constantly sent into by the playcalls. I’m not totally excusing his 53.8% completion percentage, but Richardson really didn’t get much help. I don’t expect Richardson to ever contend for the completion percentage title in the NFL, but he should settle closer to 60% and, honestly, the frequency that he connects on splash plays make the incompletions worth it. I won’t be upset if Richardson begins 2023 as a backup, but I think he’d more capably survive as a rookie starter than others seem to think. Depending where he and others land in the Draft, I could see myself having some action on Richardson as a dark horse Rookie of the Year winner. His ability is truly special and I think his platform for archetypal QB play is high enough to justify an early gamble in the draft.  

Grade: Mid First Round

Pro Comp: Cam Newton

Games Watched:

• LSU 2021
• Utah 2022
• Kentucky 2022
• Tennessee 2022
• LSU 2022
• Georgia 2022
• Texas A&M 2022
• South Carolina 2022
• Florida State 2022

Plays That Matter [LINK]

School: Kentucky

Position: QB

Year: Redshirt Senior

The Good: Levis certainly has the intangibles in spades: size, athleticism, Hulk-like strength, psycho competitor, sells play action, etc. Sentences like that about prospects are usually followed with a quick “HOWEVER…” – and I do have many negatives to report about Levis – but I don’t want to undersell that Levis is legitimately uber toolsy for a quarterback and looks the part of a field general. He has a HUGE right arm; I tracked one flick-of-the-wrist throw that went 65 yards in the air. Levis has his fair share of throws to the sidelines on tape that generate “oooh ahhh” reactions, and he can split zone coverage with the best of them. When Levis makes a quick decision it’s usually quality, and that translates well to RPO game. Although I have a hunch that some of his displays of creativity on the field were premeditated or scripted, Levis still has flashed enough nuance to suggest that he’s a true QB and not merely a big-armed athlete being pigeonholed into the position.

The Bad: I expect things for Levis to go poorly through the air for his first 1-2 years in the NFL…if not longer than that. He’s generally inaccurate and, while whoever drafts him will surely get to immediate work on his footwork, I don’t think it’s wholly fixable with his release and chaotic approach to passing. He’s not natural at scanning the field and going through his progressions; that process usually comes along with pump fakes and/or flat-footedness in the pocket. His anticipation and timing aren’t good enough yet and that leads to some ugly decisions, particularly against zone. Levis also has a bizarre lack of feel at times, and that will translate to a high sack count with fumbles in the league. There isn’t much touch in his throwing arsenal either and I expected better deep ball results given his arm strength.

The Bottom Line: There is plenty of work ahead for Levis, though I wouldn’t label him a “project” in the sense that he’ll require time set aside with pro coaches just to get onto the field. Levis should be a 2023 Week 1 starter; he played in a pro-style offense at Kentucky and I have some confidence that he’ll pick up the playbook quickly. He should definitely land within an organization that is openly rebuilding though, and that team will have basically no alternative besides totally catering its offensive identity to Levis’ strengths. He has enough upside to be a good NFL starter in a West Coast offense with plenty of talent around him, but the floor is naturally quite low when you need to make qualifying statements like that about a kid who isn’t even in the league yet.

Grade: Late First Round / Early Second Round

Pro Comp: Blake Bortles

Games Watched:

• Missouri 2021
• Florida 2021
• LSU 2021
• Georgia 2021
• Mississippi State 2021
• Louisville 2021
• Iowa 2021 (Citrus Bowl)
• Florida 2022
• Ole Miss 2022
• Mississippi State 2022

Plays That Matter [LINK]

School: Ohio State

Position: QB

Year: Redshirt Sophomore

The Good: CJ Stroud is awesome, and there is a ton of proof in the tape despite him only turning 21 this past October. He made 24 starts in his Ohio State tenure, and in every one of them he’ll make at least one throw that wows you. Stroud throws with such impressive drive and can fit a pass into any window and drop a dime to anywhere on the field. He’s not a one-trick pony with a laser beam for a right arm either; Stroud is deadly accurate, can throw with finesse, and almost always gives his receivers a high-percentage chance to come down with the ball. I was blown away by Stroud’s poise and control of his offense. He does not fit the bill of recent Ohio State QBs whatsoever. While JT Barrett, Dwayne Haskins, and Justin Fields could attribute much statistical success to the OSU wideouts and Ryan Day’s scheme, Stroud is a smooth operator on his own. He’s calling out signals pre-snap and usually makes an accurate read on the defense before the play, and he’s fully capable of making adjustments on the fly too. Stroud knows how to use his eyes as a weapon and consistently throws with anticipation. I loved to see jumps in his game from 2021 to 2022. Pocket movement and active feet were immediate strengths for Stroud, but as a sophomore he added further mobility to his game by way of evading pressure and picking up first downs with his legs. He started to show more common flashes of creativity too. Stroud is the best passing prospect to hit the NFL Draft since Trevor Lawrence.

The Bad: He’s not particularly fast. Besides that, I don’t have much. Otherwise, I’d say that his top flaw at this point is trouble with disguised coverage and overcommitment to pre-snap reads, but honestly that’s the case for some of the NFL’s best QBs and generally gets better with reps. It’s important not to forget that Stroud is extremely young. I jotted down a few cons from his freshman tape: his motion was prolonged and his release was too pronounced, which both contributed to some misses. But then he mostly cleaned up his technique as a sophomore. Stroud was pretty purely a pocket passer during his freshman season but then, while that does remain his strength, Stroud started making plays outside of the pocket during this most recent season. Sometimes he’s a bit robotic in his decision making, but damn…I’m nitpicking at this point.

The Bottom Line: Clearly, I’m high on CJ Stroud. He has tremendous arm talent, good size, and seems to be a sharp kid and admirable leader. To wrap it up, I want to push back against two narratives. 1) Stroud was fortunate to become the starter at OSU with Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Jeremy Ruckert, and Nicholas Petit-Frere in his supporting cast. And then 4 of those 5 were drafted, and Smith-Njigba was injured for most of the season…and we’re not supposed to care? Marvin Harrison Jr. is amazing, I know. But Stroud was essentially the lone year-over-year holdover in that offense and didn’t miss a beat. 2) Is this praise an overreaction to the Peach Bowl against Georgia, where Stroud almost single-handedly took down a budding dynasty? No…I had this extremely high grade on him before concluding his evaluation with that game. If it did boost his stock, it went from a Top 5 pick to a Top 1 pick.

Grade: Top 5 Pick

Pro Comp: Justin Herbert

Games Watched:

• Oregon 2021
• Maryland 2021
• Penn State 2021
• Nebraska 2021
• Michigan State 2021
• Michigan 2021
• Utah 2021 (Rose Bowl)
• Notre Dame 2022
• Wisconsin 2022
• Penn State 2022
• Maryland 2022
• Michigan 2022
• Georgia 2022 (Peach Bowl)

Plays That Matter (2021-22) [LINK]

Plays That Matter (2022-23) [LINK]

This is the first of many quick profiles that I’ll write for prospects that I analyze ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft. My feelings on prospects, as well as my Grade and Pro Comp, are subject to change as I watch and learn more about them in the Draft process…but these are my initial takeaways.

School: Alabama

Position: QB

Year: Junior

The Good: Young is an exciting prospect, and not only because he’s an escape artist in the pocket who can find a throwing lane from anywhere behind the line of scrimmage. Young is advanced at reading the field for his age, both pre-snap and as the live play breaks down. He absolutely shreds zone coverages and his general sense of timing is strong. I love that his eyes consistently start downfield, which allows him to anticipate and complete low-percentage throws. He’s quick to move through his progressions, and he almost never misses a throw to the short and intermediate levels of the field. Young is poised and extremely tough, and he handled himself well against most of the bigger and stronger defenses that he faced (including twice against 2021 Georgia).

The Bad: Young is so small that his size will make him a historical outlier, and he doesn’t have the thick build or speed of other small QBs taken near the top of the draft either. His arm strength is subpar too; he doesn’t consistently throw with drive and there isn’t much power behind it. Maybe I have heard one too many comparisons to Russell Wilson, but I expected better deep passing from Young. He has a fair share of underthrows and outright misses on deep balls. Young is self-aware of his physical limitations, but they are limitations nonetheless that do show up on tape. He has a few bad habits – holding onto the ball for too long, taking extra steps in his drops, etc. The magic moments are offset by plenty of avoidable sacks, which naturally could cause concern at his size.

The Bottom Line: Bryce Young’s size will dominate the narrative over the next few months, and as annoying as it will inevitably become…it’s fair. I foresee the typical talking point becoming something along the lines of “he’s a near perfect prospect aside from the fact that he’s 195 pounds,” but that’s just not true. Young has areas for improvement; fortunately, they are things that are largely fixable/learnable. Preferably, he begins 2023 on the bench. His arrow is pointing up after his 2022-23 season at Alabama, as weird as that sounds after he won the Heisman Trophy in 2021-2022. Young stepped up his game when it came to creation, all without sacrificing efficiency or accuracy. I’d like to see him end up in an offense that routinely gets him on the move and allows him to throw on the run, which is the most exciting element of his game to me. He’s not system-proof but he does have star potential.

Grade: Mid First Round

Pro Comp: Mark Brunell

Games Watched:

• Miami 2021
• Florida 2021
• Ole Miss 2021
• Texas A&M 2021
• LSU 2021
• Arkansas 2021
• Auburn 2021
• Georgia 2021 (SEC Championship Game)
• Cincinnati 2021
• Georgia 2021 (National Championship Game)
• Utah State 2022
• Texas 2022
• Tennessee 2022
• LSU 2022
• Kansas State 2022 (Sugar Bowl)

Plays That Matter (2021-22) [LINK]

Plays That Matter (2022-23) [LINK]