Getty Image / Michael Hickey
There is plenty of time for things to change, but the vast majority of NFL mock drafts have Alabama quarterback Bryce Young being drafted at #1 overall by the Carolina Panthers.
Nothing is a lock until the Panthers announce their pick and despite Will Levis trending towards going first overall, 5’10” Bryce Young is about to become the new face of that franchise.
Speaking with reporters on Wednesday morning ahead of the NFL Draft, Bryce Young addressed being short. Specifically, he made it known that he’s embracing his role as a Short King™ in the NFL.
The average height of quarterbacks in the NFL is just over 6’2″ (74.56 inches). The shortest quarterback in the NFL is 5’11”. But that’s about to change when short king Bryce Young walks in at 5’10” and changes the game.
Bryce Young on the height question. “I can’t grow.” pic.twitter.com/cyPZyw8P4U
— Scott Fowler (@scott_fowler) April 26, 2023
His quote (via Michael David Smith at PFT) is:
“I’m confident in my abilities,” Young said. “I don’t know how to play the game another way. I’ve been this size relative to the people around me my entire life. I focus on what I control, and I can’t grow. That doesn’t fall into that category, I can’t get any taller. I focus on myself. I’m confident in myself with what I’ve been able to do and I’m excited for the work it’s going to take.”
Has anyone told Bryce about leg-lengthening surgery? It’s very expensive (between $75,000 to $170,000), and very painful, but it can make guys a few inches taller.
Meanwhile, C.J. Stroud and Will Levis are both 6’3″. But it’s my fellow short guy Bryce Young who is reportedly the most sought-after player in the NFL Draft, at this point.
Bryce did recently discuss how he’d ‘make up for his lack of size.’ The gist is it’s all about ‘understanding the defense.’