ESPN's Dan Orlovsky says Bryce Young 'is a combination of Steph Curry ... plus Joe Burrow'

ESPN NFL analyst and former quarterback Dan Orlovsky thinks the Carolina Panthers should draft former Alabama quarterback Bryce Young with the No. 1 overall pick. His reason? Because Young embodies a pair of stars in their respective leagues: Golden State Warriors point guard Steph Curry and Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow

Orlovsky made this hefty comparison while alluding to some specific traits that Young shares with the respective pro stars, namely his processing and calm under pressure. Still, putting a quarterback yet to play a down of NFL football on the same plane as a revolutionary basketball player in Curry and a budding face-of-the-league type in Burrow is lofty company.

“If you’re Carolina you take Bryce Young. Now you live with a little regret of not taking Anthony Richardson because of what he potentially becomes. But you take Bryce Young and it’s because the No. 1 thing that you need to have as a quarterback to become great over an extended period of time in the NFL: What do you do with the ball in moments of panic? What do you do with the ball in moments of panic? And he’s the best at it. He’s the best since Joe Burrow,” Orlovsky said on “Get Up.”

“That’s why Bryce is a combination of Steph Curry where everything around him is moving fast but it doesn’t to him, plus Joe Burrow. Doesn’t panic with the football. That’s the difference between him and all of the other kids in this class, the young guys in this class. And that’s the No. 1 quality that I want in a quarterback. Because that’s the reality of the NFL,” he concluded.

However, Orlovsky isn’t the only former NFL quarterback making the Burrow comparison for Young.

Peyton Manning sees plenty of similarities between the two and discussed how scouts have brought up a similar point.

“Talking to real scouts, Burrow is the guy that comes to mind,” Manning said while watching Young’s tape. “Because of the sixth sense in the pocket. The decision making, processing information quickly, and I’m not saying Bryce is going to have that same success as Joe right away, but I think the instincts that Joe has, that Bryce has. The ability to beat the coverage keeps a lot of plays alive. I love (this play) knowing he’s about to get hammered.

“Throws one right in there. Joe’s not afraid to hold that ball to the last minute until somebody comes open. Nice touch there. Yeah, I mean, recognition, processing instincts. You see a little bit of Joe Burrow in Bryce Young.” 

Burrow, of course, was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft after his Heisman winning season at LSU in 2019. Young, who captured the Heisman in 2021, could soon be following Burrow as the top overall selection, keeping the train of comparisons coming.

As for the Curry comparison, Young certainly shares some of the calm-amidst-chaos that the point guard embodies. And Young’s game has certain point guard-esque qualities to it with the way he distributes the ball and plays with tempo.

But the closest Young is likely to come to being in an NBA game is courtside seats.