Detroit wisely focused on the rest of its roster last week, but it will likely have to find its franchise quarterback in 2023 and has a prime chance to do so at No. 2 with Young still on the board. A former five-star recruit, Young is only 6-foot but has solid accuracy and plenty of mobility in the pocket. And he clearly has chemistry with receiver Jameson Williams, one of the Lions' first-round picks this year, considering nearly a third of Young's 4,872 passing yards in 2021 went Williams' way. Jared Goff's dead money dips to just $10 million next offseason, making the Lions' QB easier to move on from.
We have plenty of time to debate Young's size (6-foot, 194 pounds), but there's been more than enough pint-sized quarterbacks thrive in the NFL for there to be a blueprint. Young won the Heisman Trophy while finishing second in yards (4,872), touchdowns (47) and QBR (87.6) as a true sophomore. Look at his tape from the SEC Championship victory over Georgia and tell me he can't have success against an NFL defense.
Atlanta drafted Desmond Ridder in the third round, where he promptly showed the world how little he knew about the Falcons by promising the team a Super Bowl. He's a nice prospect, but his presence wouldn't convince Arthur Smith and company to pass up a five-star quarterback like Young. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner was responsible for 50 touchdowns in 15 games in 2021 and completed more than two-thirds of his passes, despite facing some of the NCAA's toughest defenses.
The defending Heisman Trophy winner, Young is undersized and might not check every box by NFL standards. But his poise and processing are both well above average and will transition well at the next level.
The Falcons traded Matt Ryan, so if Marcus Mariota and Desmond Ridder aren't viable replacements - given where the Falcons are drafting, we can assume this is the case - they'll be interested in one of the blue-chip quarterbacks in this class.
Bryce Young has size issues - he's 5-11 - but he has drawn comparisons to Kyler Murray.
The Lions punted on the 2022 quarterback class, likely with an eye on 2023's deeper group. If they land this high in the draft order, landing Young to replace Jared Goff would be the obvious choice.
Young might win a second Heisman Trophy, will make a star of Ja'Corey Brooks or JoJoe Earle (or both!) and will stir passionate debate about his pro prospects, given that he's barely 6 feet tall.
We'll have a full year to debate Young's size, but there's no debating how the 2021 Heisman Trophy winner plays the quarterback position. Last season, the sophomore not only earned a 92.2 overall grade in his first season as a starter, but he also earned by far the highest grade of anyone against Georgia's loaded defense -- 89.0 in the SEC Championship.
The Panthers wisely passed on a QB at the top of the '22 draft, bolstered the offensive line with Ickey Ekwonu, and were still able to get Matt Corral in Round 3. But the team also used a third-round pick on Will Grier a few years ago and he's no longer with the team. The point: We like Corral, and he may get a chance to play next season, but if the team loves any of the QBs in this class you'd have to think they'd target one.
The Detroit Lions made the smart play by avoiding the quarterback class this year.
General manager Brad Holmes could have made the mistake of jumping on a prospect just so the team had someone in place beyond Jared Goff. But the former No. 1 overall pick is still a viable starter, albeit a lower-tier option. The decision to avoid quarterback altogether allowed the Lions to build around the position while simultaneously drafting culture-changers.
The pieces are now in place with a strong offensive line, a dynamic lead back, a Pro Bowl-caliber tight end and improved wide receivers to plop a talented, young quarterback into the cockpit.
Bryce Young can reunite with Jameson Williams and possibly recreate last season's magic (before the wide receiver suffered a torn ACL in the National Championship Game). Young has a natural feel for the game, though his slight frame (6'0", 194 pounds) will cause concern. Still, the Heisman Trophy winner can give the Lions franchise new life.
Young should also continue to build his skill set, that includes off the charts intangibles and smarts, coming off a stellar Heisman-winning campaign in a program that keeps churning out promising NFL QBs. The Lions need to go here after passing on a QB in 2022.
Like Stroud, Young had a huge first season as a starter, completing 67 percent of his passes for nearly 5,000 yards with 47 touchowns and seven interceptions. The Falcons drafted Desmond Ridder in the third round on Friday, but the chance to land Young will be too much to pass up.
General Manager Brad Holmes has assembled two stellar draft classes and has positioned the Lions well to go in on a quarterback. Bryce Young is developing quite the resume at Alabama and will be in the QB1 conversation entering the season.
The debate between Young and Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud will likely rage for most of the 2022 college football season. Is this pick "calling my shot" that Young is the better prospect? Not in the slightest... However, when you look at Texans' Offensive Coordinator Pep Hamilton's offensive scheme and history of QBs he has worked with (Alex Smith, Kyle Orton, Andrew Luck, Chad Pennington, et al.), it's pretty clear this team will want to run the ball, be efficient on offense and control the field on third downs.
Both top QB prospects can do that, but--months out--and things between these two young men being relatively equal, I'm going with the Heisman Trophy winner coming off a National Championship appearance.
A no-brainer selection for Detroit. Bryce Young would be your Day One starter after dumping Jared Goff's contract. Young does not have all-world arm talent, but he's accurate and cerebral. He prefers not to run, but he has the athleticism to get extra yards if needed. Pairing Young with his former receiver Jameson Williams would be a match made in heaven.
Similar to the Lions, the Seattle Seahawks were so adamant about not wanting to take a quarterback in the top portion of the 2022 NFL Draft that they tried their hardest to trade down. After unsuccessfully doing so, the Seahawks have a pair of bookend tackles for new quarterback Bryce Young.
The reigning Heisman Trophy winner, Young possesses an elite right arm and a moxie that rivals the most seasoned NFL quarterback today. He stands tall in the pocket and delivers the ball accurately and on time to every level of the field.
The reigning Heisman winner has another year in Tuscaloosa, but should be considered the favorite to be the top pick next year. If the Texans are bad enough under Lovie Smith to get the #1 pick, it'd be hard to justify continuing to roll with Davis Mills.
Bryce Young lived up to the hype coming into Alabama and walked away with the 2021 Heisman Trophy. Pairing Jameson Williams and Bryce Young again in the NFL could be electric!
The 2021 Heisman trophy winner put on a clinic in his first season as a starter at Alabama and I doubt he'll be slowing down. Bryce Young might not have the ideal size that teams prefer, but he's a magician on the field and processes as well as anyone. Young could have an even better supporting cast of talent around him in 2022 and looks up to the task of fighting it out with Stroud for the No. 1 spot. The Jared Goff era goes poof in Detroit.