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Bryce Young one of 'highest-graded quarterbacks ever' for Mel Kiper if not for weight

IMG_0985by:Griffin McVeigh•02/28/23•

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BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA - NOVEMBER 05: Bryce Young #9 of the Alabama Crimson Tide throws the ball during the first half against the LSU Tigers at Tiger Stadium on November 05, 2022 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)

Plenty of storylines are going to flood out of Indianapolis this week with the NFL Combine in town. None will be covered more than Alabama‘s Bryce Young stepping on the scale though. Teams and draft analysts across the country will be looking to see how much Young weighs, potentially making some decisions early at the top of the board.

ESPN’s Mel Kiper has a certain number on his mind — 195 pounds. If Young is able to equal or better 195 pounds, he will slot into the QB1 spot. Anything less and another SEC quarterback will take home the honors late in the process.

“Question is, can he withstand punishment of that frame of his? I set the bar at 195 pounds,” Kiper said. “If he’s 195 or better, he’s my QB1. If he’s 194 or less, I’m going with Will Levis, the quarterback from Kentucky. That size, the weight, in particular, is what bothers me.”

According to the official Alabama team roster from the 2022 season, Young was 6-4 and 194 pounds — the wrong side of Kiper’s number. Only one true injury occurred throughout his two seasons as the Crimson Tide quarterback, missing a game and a half this past fall.

Outside of the size and frame questions, Young checks nearly every single box. The mental evaluation is great coming out of Alabama plus he has shown off his plus tools over the past two years. Kiper believes if Young was just a bit bigger, the quarterback would be one of his highest-graded ever at the position.

“The quick release, the accuracy,” Kiper said on positive traits of Young. “The ability to get it done, able to process so quickly. If he was bigger, it would be a slam dunk. A generational quarterback — one of my highest-graded quarterbacks ever. But’s not and the weight is the issue with Bryce Young.”

For now, the weight is not enough to move Young off the No. 1 overall pick for Kiper. In his latest mock draft released on Tuesday, he had the Houston Texans moving up a spot to take Young. Ohio State‘s CJ Stroud was the next off the board, with the Indianapolis Colts trading to get him at No. 2.

Levis, who Kiper could potentially have as his QB1, was selected fifth overall. In another projected mock trade, the Carolina Panthers moved up from No. 9.

All this to say, Kiper’s next mock draft could look completely different. We will have answers on Young’s weight and even have potentially seen him throw at the Alabama Pro Day. A lot rides on a singular moment in Indy.