Report: Bryce Young Cancels Remaining Pre-Draft Visits
Expert Analysis 4/17/23
Alabama quarterback Bryce Young (scouting report), the betting favorite to go No. 1 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft, has canceled his remaining pre-draft visits, NFL Media reported. Young already completed visits with the Carolina Panthers and Houston Texans — holders of the No. 1 and No. 2 overall picks, respectively — and the Las Vegas Raiders, who hold the No. 7 overall selection.
>> READ: Full Order of Picks for 2023 NFL Draft
The decision to forego any remaining meetings is an assertive display of confidence from the quarterback's camp, further signaling the likelihood Young will be among the first picks in the 2023 NFL Draft. The 33rd Team's Mock Draft 5.0 projects Young will be the No. 1 overall pick, teaming him with first-year coach Frank Reich and the Carolina Panthers.
Young, the 2021 Heisman Trophy winner, finished his career at Alabama with a 23-4 overall record in two seasons as the starter, throwing for 8,356 yards passing, 80 TDs and just 12 INTs in his career. However, questions about his size and durability have followed the 21-year-old signal-caller throughout the pre-draft process.
"If you wanted to check the box on everything on this player, at this position — the quarterback position — he would ace every one of those boxes you'd have to check except for the height," said Rick Spielman, former NFL general manager and analyst for The 33rd Team.
Despite those concerns, many analysts — including Spielman — insist Young can be an effective quarterback at the NFL level. Former NFL MVP Rich Gannon believes Young has the potential to be a franchise-changing player in the right system.
"He is an absolute playmaker," said Gannon. "He doesn't panic in the pocket when pressured and he has all the intangibles and qualities that you love at the quarterback position, with the exception that he's not 6-foot-5 and 235 pounds like Josh Allen or Justin Herbert."
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Though Young remains the betting favorite to go No. 1 overall in most sportsbooks, fellow prospects C.J. Stroud (scouting report), Will Levis (scouting report) and Anthony Richardson (scouting report) are all strong quarterbacks with a case to be the first pick, potentially putting Young in a position to fall to the second pick or later.
Though the Texans currently hold the No. 2 overall pick, Houston general manager Nick Caserio told reporters the team was willing to discuss trading out of the spot.