Houston Texans: Bryce Young still the future?

With the Houston Texans’ season ending with the second overall selection; and their need for a QB in this upcoming draft, we need to evaluate the quarterbacks in this class. I already did a film review of Ohio State’s quarterback CJ Stroud and his potential fit with the Texans. Today, we will look at Alabama’s Bryce Young, who could and should still be around for the second pick in the draft.

Before we get to the tapes, I want to make an initial observation on Young and see if the tapes we watch will either affirm or disprove my thinking.

First off; Young has had an incredibly decorated career at Alabama. Most highlighted by him setting the single-season record for passing yards at Alabama 4,4872 and touchdowns, 47, and that season ending in a Heisman Trophy in Bryce’s arms.

Initial Thoughts On Bryce Young And The Houston Texans

Young has shown in his collegiate career to be a high IQ passer who processes defenses and route progressions quickly, hits receivers in stride, uses his athletic ability to extend plays and create more offense, and has shown to be a leader who shows up in big-time moments.

His question marks include potential durability issues in the NFL, as he is listed at 5’11, 196 pounds, and a potential lack of arm strength. When watching tape, the arm strength appears to be there he just seems to float deep balls while trying to put the ball in the perfect position.

Below is a great overall breakdown of Bryce Young:

Game vs. Texas 2022

Pros: good ball placement on passes, decent pocket presence and patience in pocket, used his legs to maneuver around pressure well, showed an ability to move through his progressions well, kept eyes upfield when scrambling, elite escapability. That’s something the Houston Texans clearly like in their quarterbacks.

Cons: held onto ball too long, tried to do much on some plays that led to negative plays, as well as ran when he saw he had open lanes due to man coverage.

Game vs. Tennessee 2022

Pros: reads through his progressions well, does a good job not telegraphing his throws, so often he finds the often man after his first read, uses mobility to create for his arm, good job resetting his feet before he throws, incredible touch on outside throws, escapability created throwing options

Cons: more throws off his backfoot than usual due to the pressure, made some ill-advised throws, held onto the ball too long, stared down the first read,

You could make an argument that this was one of the best games of Bryce’s collegiate career based on how he carried an overmatched team to a close loss. This game is a great example of what he could do for an underdeveloped NFL franchise, as he was consistently pressured, had receivers drop passes, and played from behind most of the game. That being said, he was the #1 reason this game was so close, as his heroics in the middle part of the game closed a 28-10 gap.

Bryce Young vs Georgia (2022)

Pros: ball placement – hitting his guys in stride frequently, uses mobility to create, good touch on outside passes

Cons: poor footwork when he had time in the pocket on a few occasions, inconsistencies with timing on dropbacks

This was easily Bryce’s most impressive game in college as it was against the team that would eventually defeat him in the championship game behind their 5 first-round defenders on that defense. His throw at the 3:24 mark was as NFL of a throw as you will see in college and proves his arm strength isn’t an issue.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, Bryce has spent his whole life as a quarterback prodigy who entered the top program in the country with immense talent and expectations around him. He played most collegiate games against teams that had circled his game on their calendar all season. During his Heisman year, we got to see what he looked like with weapons and a decent offensive line and run game; it ended in a Heisman trophy. This season, we have gotten to view him on a team without a top wide receiver option, a shaky offensive line, and a defense that was very un-Alabamalike and had them trailing more often than not.

In this, we have seen his elite ball placement, touch, accuracy, and use of legs to create more offense, as well as his escapability. The way he processes the game is unlike any other QB in the draft. He could play on any NFL team due to his style of play, as he isn’t scheme-specific or reliant on the talent around him.

I think all of these traits make Bryce Young an ideal quarterback to help turn the Texans around.

Ideal fit: Houston Texans, Seattle Seahawks

Bad fit: none at the top of the draft