How Bryce Young’s Skillset Resembles Aaron Rodgers

Alabama quarterback Bryce Young will be discussed and dissected at great length over the next year as he will be in the conversation to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Young has been compared to Kyler Murray because of their similar stature, but his play style is reminiscent of Aaron Rodgers.

Young possess a lightening quick release that looks incredibly effortless. There is no wasted movement in his motion and the ball jumps out his hand. It’s a weapon in the red zone with his ability to zip the ball to wide receivers with a simple flick of the wrist.

Get our free mobile app

His timing and ball placement is off the charts. He throws the ball with incredible touch and anticipation. Young can get into a serious rhythm and become surgical up and down the field. He completed over 90% of his passes in two separate games last season, including one game where he completed first 13 passes.

Young shredded an Arkansas defense for a school record 559 passing yards and tossed five touchdowns while completing 77.5% of his throws.

His arm strength seems to be in question this offseason, but the Alabama quarterback possesses a live arm. Young completed a number of passes that traveled 50-60 yards in the air and dropped them into the wide receiver's hands like a handoff. He consistently made high level NFL throws with pristine accuracy from one hash to the opposite sideline.

The Alabama signal-caller doesn’t have prototypical NFL size but that doesn’t mean he can’t operate within the pocket. He is able to process his reads and make a quick decision. Young is poise and sudden in the pocket.

He has the ability to create off script plays when the pocket breaks down. His eyes remain downfield when he scrambles and always has awareness of where his checkdown option is. Young moves not to run but to create throwing lanes.

“He’s improved each week. Mature player who doesn’t force the ball, seems to take what the defense gives him,” said an NFL scout in December. “He’s good in-rhythm and shows the ability to make plays off script. Accuracy and arm strength are very good. He can anticipate and is improving his consistency. “Also, Mac and Tua had more talent around them. Bryce has carried the offense at times this year.”

The former five-star quarterback put together a stellar sophomore campaign in 2021. Young completed 66.9% of his passes for a school record 4,872 passing yards and 47 touchdowns. He became the first quarterback in Alabama history to win the Heisman trophy and also brought home the Davey O’Brien and Manning Awards as the nation's top quarterback.

Young plays with a cool, calm and collective approach. Head coach Nick Saban stated last season, "Bryce is the calm in the midst of chaos."

Late in the year in a game against Auburn, the Crimson Tide offense took the field with 1:35 remaining and no timeouts needing to go 97-yards for a touchdown to send the game into overtime. He fired a 22-yard completion to John Metchie over the middle on 3rd-and-10 from the shadow of his own end zone.

Young even flashed a quick smile before a 4th-and-7 play and then preceded to deliver a 14-yard bullet to move the chains. He lofted a perfect pass to Ja’Corey Brooks in the corner of the end zone to tie the game with 24 seconds left in regulation.

Young had been sacked seven times and the Tide struggled all game to generate any kind of offense up until that point to, but his body language and demeanor never changed.

Size will become more and more point of emphasis when draft season rolls around, but the game tape speaks for itself.