The NFL, as we have grown up knowing it, has changed. The days of teams drafting statuesque, big-arm quarterbacks that are 6’4″ and stand in the pocket are gone, and in comes a new way of thinking that may change the way we view the quarterback position forever.
The game is evolving, and with that evolution comes the changing of philosophy that allows a player like former Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Bryce Young to be drafted first overall in the 2023 NFL draft despite being anything but the typical stature.
Before Young was drafted this year, the shortest quarterback in the NFL was Kyler Murray — now you can add Young to that stat as Young and Murrary come in at the same exact height.
How Tall Is Bryce Young?
Young was measured 5’10” at the NFL Combine, making him tied for the shortest quarterback in the NFL and the shortest player to ever be drafted No. 1 overall in the NFL Draft. Additionally, Young weighed in at 204 pounds — since 2003, no quarterback who weighed less than 207 pounds at the Combine has been drafted in Round 1.
MORE: Top 10 Shortest Players in NFL History Including Darren Sproles and Deuce Vaughn
Despite Young’s small stature, it has never limited his big-play ability, as he was a very successful quarterback in college that saw him be the leader of the Crimson Tide offense and eventually win the Heisman Trophy.
How Else Does Bryce Young Stack Up?
Young was highly productive at the biggest stage in college football, proving week in and week out why he was the best quarterback in the draft by ranking second in all of the FBS with 4,872 yards and 47 passing touchdowns. Young was also third in pass efficiency, pass attempts, and tied for third in pass completions in a season.
Since taking over the starting job at Alabama, Young has won the Heisman Trophy and Maxwell Award as the nation’s top player as well as taking home the Davey O’Brien and Manning Awards as the nation’s top quarterback. Young was also named a first-team All-American and won the SEC Offensive Player of the Year award.
Young is highly accomplished and a No. 1 overall draft pick, and he did so while being considered by every NFL metric to be undersized.
