Bryce Young pro day results: Highlights as Alabama’s QB shines during 2023 NFL Draft workout
Bryce Young appeared at Pro Day in Alabama on Thursday, a day after CJ Stroud had to assert his case as the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL draft on Wednesday.
Young put on a strong performance on his pro day. The 5-10, 204-pound quarterback stood by his measurements from the 2023 NFL Combine and opted to have just one throwing session on Thursday.
The results were strong, even by the relatively simple standards of a pro day.
Young threw 50 passes and completed 44 of them as part of a scripted practice session. Of his six misfires, four were through no fault of his own. Two were placed right on Jermaine Burton’s downfield, but the receiver failed to catch them.
Meanwhile, two more struck the low-hanging roof of the Alabama training facility. That denied those in attendance a chance to see exactly how far Young could throw the ball infield.
Young had two misfires, both of which were falls on deep balls. Each time, Young missed his receiver by about a step. If he had taken just a little bit off or thrown with a little more touch, they would have been completions.
Young’s training was impressive as he showed his best trait, pinpoint accuracy, early and often. He often hit his receivers perfectly in stride and almost always delivered the receiver a catchable ball in the right place.
Was Young’s pro day dynamic? Not quite, but it has shown that he’s a polished, accurate passer who can make all the throws it takes to become an NFL starter. That will make him No. 1 along with CJ Stroud.
Sporting News followed Young’s performance from his pro day on Thursday. Below are highlights from Young’s showcase at the Alabama Pro Day.
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Bryce Young Pro Day Live updates, highlights
(All times Easter.)
14:18 — That’s enough for Bryce Young’s pro day. Almost all of his throws were executed with pinpoint accuracy. There were a handful of incompletes, but only a few were the result of Young’s fall. Two catchable balls were dropped by Jermaine Burton while at least one more struck the low-hanging practice facility roof.
All in all, a strong performance for Young. Nothing shown today should affect any NFL teams.
14:16 — Young’s out routes were sharp today. Here’s a look at one of them:
14:13 — Another miss for Young when he launched an off-platform throw a little too far in front of his receiver. Every second throw he had today was spot on – with perfect placement.
14:10 — And there’s Young’s first miss of the day. He dropped his receiver about a step on a downfield shot.
14:09 — Here’s a good look at one of Young’s throws from earlier in the session. He was spot on for most of the day.
14:06 — Young’s deep pass has been looking good so far. He just launched a pass down to his receiver and hit him in the hands in the crotch. However, the receiver failed to catch despite the perfect placement of the throw.
14:04 — Young looks very calm during the exercises. After every handful of tosses, the receivers regroup and get their next routes, but Young doesn’t seem the least bit nervous.
14:01 — So far so good for Young. He works well in the fast game and gets the ball to his receivers. So far he has only had one litter, which was a bit high; Despite this, it was placed in such a way that the recipient could catch it.
13:58 — And here we go. Young is now officially throwing. He starts with the short game and some rollouts.
13:54 — Jahmyr Gibbs is getting a lot of work right now. Young is giving him handoffs now and has yet to start his 50-throw script.
13:46 — Nick Saban is interviewed while Young warms up his receivers and he speaks enthusiastically about Young’s performance on the field. He also stated, unsurprisingly, that Young’s height shouldn’t be an issue given his success with Alabama.
13:41 — And here comes Bryce Young. He’s about to start his training. He is currently helping his receivers warm up when they come out of the breaks in a figure eight. Young himself basically just throws short curl routes as part of it.
13:35 — You’re just about to finish some of the offensive line drills. Once those are done, it will likely be Young’s turn to show off his stuff.
13:30 — It’s about time Young’s training began. He should throw soon.
13:19 — Young was just starting to stretch when the show switched to a commercial. It shouldn’t be long before he throws now.
13:07 — Another meeting for Bryce Young: Sometime after his practice, he is supposed to speak with the Seahawks. This message came from NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.
13:04 — The Panthers are doing everything they can to get information about these top quarterbacks. According to ESPN’s David Newton, Frank Reich appears to be speaking to Young shortly before his practice session.
13:02 — For those wondering what Young will be up to until then, he watches his teammates practice. It looks like he stops some of them with his phone too.
13:01 — SEC Network’s broadcast of the Alabama Pro Day has just begun. They announced the Young are expected to throw around 1:30 p.m. ET.
12:59 — Albert Breer has more on the trainers who will see Bryce Young throw, along with the other Alabama Prospect workouts.
12:56 — We know Slade Bolden will be running tracks for Young. It looks like Jermaine Burton and JaCorey Brooks will also be involved in training. A good opportunity for the receivers from Alabama to get some NFL looks.
12:40 — Interested parties are currently going through the long jump exercises. Eli Ricks’ 10-7 mark is the strongest, while Cameron Latu also hit 10ft to show off his athletic ability.
12:38 — Bryce Young will only throw today. He won’t run 40 or do any other exercises. Therefore, his 50 or so passes will be paramount.
12:24 — NFL employees aren’t the only ones at Bryce Young’s Pro Day. His father is there too. The two were spotted chatting ahead of the event.
12:08 — Not surprisingly, Young isn’t weighed in on his pro day. He tipped the scales at 204 pounds in the NFL Combine and he’ll keep that number standing.
12:03 — For those wondering if Will Anderson will be training today, this should provide your answer. He seems ready to insist on the performance he put on at the 2023 NFL Combine, although he will be at the event with his teammates.
11:57 — A cool story that will be fun: Veteran NFL offensive tackle and former Alabama star DJ Fluker is attempting an NFL comeback. He has not been on an active NFL roster as of 2020, although he spent time with three teams on offseason rosters and practice teams during the 2021 season.
11:53 am — Nicole Tepper, co-owner of the Panthers with her husband David Tepper, greeted Young with a hug before his practice Thursday.
11:51 am — We now know what Bryce Young will actually be doing as he trains today. He will throw around 50 passes of all kinds, as Albert Breer explains.
11:02 am — Fun Fact: This isn’t actually Young’s first appearance at a pro day in Alabama. He was at last year’s iteration of the event and impressed the talent evaluators.
Here’s a look at what, according to Heavy.com’s Jonathan Adams, was considered “the shot of the day” at the event.
Funnily enough, Slade Bolden will be at Young’s practice Thursday despite having his pro day last year. Bolden signed with the Ravens as an undrafted free agent but is looking for another way to stay in the NFL.
10:27 am — They are expected to exist a lot of the key NFL decision makers at Pro Day in Alabama, which should come as no surprise. Among the teams in need of quarterbacks, the Panthers and Raiders will have both their head coaches and general managers in attendance.
9:54 am — The Panthers aren’t the only ones who have hooked up with Young. The Raiders, who have the No. 7 pick in the 2023 NFL draft, also spoke to the Alabama quarterback Wednesday night.
8:58 am — The Panthers are doing their homework on all of the top passers in the 2023 NFL Draft. ESPN’s David Newton reports that Carolina’s bosses, including owner David Tepper, had dinner with Young on Wednesday night before his Thursday practice.
The Panthers had been with CJ Strouds pro earlier in the day and sent 11 people to watch him practice. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that they take a similar approach with Young, but it’s worth noting.
Will Bryce Young Throw at the Alabama Pro Day?
Yes, Bryce Young plans to throw at Alabama’s first Pro Day on Thursday. He chose to do so after failing to throw at the 2023 NFL Combine; He just measured and interviewed at the combine and decided to save the drills for his pro day.
Young’s performance in passing drills will be the most important part of his pro day. However, his measurements will draw attention after arriving at the 2023 NFL Combine at 5-10 1/8, 204 pounds.
If Young measures similarly and does well on passing practice, which he should, it will help drive the comparisons between his skills and 2019 No. 1 Kyler Murray.
How to watch Alabama’s Pro Day in 2023
- Date: Thursday, March 23
- Time: 1 p.m. ET (noon CT)
- TV channel: SEC network
- Live broadcast: fubo
SEC Network will televise the first of Alabama’s two pro days on Thursday, March 23rd. The event itself begins at 10 a.m. ET, but the network’s broadcast doesn’t begin until 1 p.m. ET, just before Young is expected to throw.
Those who want to live stream Alabama’s pro day but don’t have cable can watch it with Fubo. Fubo carries the SEC Network, a member of the ESPN family, as well as ABC, CBS, Fox and other major networks, meaning you can catch football action leading up to and including the 2023 NFL season. Fubo also offers a free trial.
Bryce Young NFL Draft Projection
Young was widely considered the top quarterback in the 2023 NFL draft class to enter the 2022 college football season. He had another good year in Alabama, and that has allowed him to stay on top of many of the league’s big boards.
However, Young is no longer guaranteed to be the first quarterback selected. Ohio State’s CJ Stroud is currently favored as the No. 1 pick overall, so Young may have to settle for being the second quarterback pick.
Still, it looks like Young will be a top-2 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft barring one upset. If the Panthers don’t end up taking Young, the Texans — who have long been tied to the Alabama quarterback — could take him unless they fall in love with Anthony Richardson’s athletic potential.
Even if the chance does occur, Young almost certainly wouldn’t escape the top 4. The quarterback-needy Colts are expected to target a player at the position. Young would fit the Jalen Hurts mold that new coach Shane Steichen is looking for, while owner Jim Irsay offered unsolicited praise to Young at Steichen’s induction press conference.
So barring an upset, Young will be a top four pick. And it would be a surprise to see him one of the first two players selected in the 2023 NFL Draft.