NFL insider reveals Alabama QB Bryce Young scored 98 on NFL's S2 cognitive test

Alabama quarterback Bryce Young is known for his dazzling escapes and crafty connections when plays break down, but he should also be known for his smarts after nearly acing the NFL’s cognitive test.

According to NFL insider Albert Breer, Young scored a 98 on the NFL’s S2 cognitive test.

Breer notes that Young’s score of 98 edged out previous NFL quarterbacks Joe Burrow, Justin Fields and Josh Allen, who all scored in the 90s. It also bested Kentucky quarterback Will Levis, who is also a likely candidate to be selected in the first round of this year’s NFL Draft.

Young’s quick decision-making and processing have long been pointed to as one of the reasons he’s in consideration to be the No. 1 overall draft pick.

“It’s really I think the quick decision making and the fact that he is the ultimate processor,” ESPN NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper said. “You look at the comparisons, and Todd McShay said it, he said hey Patrick Mahomes and Steph Curry, to see things that nobody else does on the field, he does that.

“And I said if he was bigger it wouldn’t be no question, he’d be a generational talent, he would be up there with the John Elway‘s and the elite of the elite quarterbacks of all time if he were bigger. So if you can reconcile the size, because he’s the ultimate outlier don’t make any mistake about it, he’s the smallest quarterback in the history of the common draft to go in the first round, let alone number one overall. So this is new and something we’ve never had happen before, but otherwise he’s great.”

Even with his size disadvantages, Young was able to finish with 8,200 passing yards and 79 touchdowns against just 12 interceptions over the past two seasons.

Clearly something is working for Bryce Young, cognitive test or otherwise.

Writes NFL Draft analyst Lance Zierlein in evaluating Young as an NFL Draft prospect:

“Slightly built with measurables that fall below the standard for the quarterback position, Young’s talent and face-of-the-franchise potential could force teams to focus more on his game film and less on his size. Young has had the advantage of working with a former NFL head coach (Bill O’Brien) who understands the challenges facing a pro quarterback. He’s a full-field reader whose confident demeanor on the field oozes off the tape but never becomes unbridled cockiness. He’s thoughtful in where he wants to go with the football and keeps the turnover count low.

“The deep ball is nothing special and his drive velocity fails to stand out, but he has enough arm strength to make the necessary throws. Young is perfectly capable of extending plays both inside and outside the pocket, but teams will want him to stay on schedule a little more often as a pro passer. He’s poised in the face of both physical and situational pressure and possesses a full offering of intangibles that helps set him apart from some of the more physically gifted quarterbacks in this class.”

With one of the NFL’s top cognitive tests, Bryce Young was projected as the No. 1 overall draft pick, going to the Carolina Panthers, in Kiper’s latest mock draft.