Grady Jarrett on Bryce Young: 'He was drafted No. 1 for a reason'

Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jarrett has a lot of respect for No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young. The two will see each other when the Falcons take on the Carolina Panthers in their two regularly scheduled games this season.

Of course, Young was not named the official starter for Week 1 just yet. New head coach Frank Reich likely wants to see a full training camp before that happens.

But either way, Jarrett said his team and others should prepare and be ready for the former Heisman Trophy winner.

“I don’t know if … either, because I’m a ‘small’ defensive tackle ,” Jarrett said on Good Morning Football. “I think the man was drafted No. 1 for a reason — and I think we’re all gonna find out a while, over time. So you gotta give him his due credit until he proves otherwise. So it is what it is. Gotta prepare for him.”

If Jarrett said prepare for Young, then you better prepare for him. Heck, even Reich compared Young to Peyton Manning in a conversation that was revealed in behind-the-scenes footage before the NFL Draft.

“So, actually just in respect to quarterback play. I’ll just say this: When I was coaching Peyton Manning and watching him, watching how he operated as a kind of personal coaching exercise, I was like, ‘What makes this guy special?’ And so I came up with just five traits,” Reich said to the assembled coaches and front office staff, including general manager Scott Fitterer. “This is what I got from watching Peyton Manning. And this is how I think about quarterback play.”

A Hall of Fame quarterback in comparison with Young? That’s quite the leap, but it just goes to show the respect the former Alabama star garnered coming into the pros.

Young was still highly productive in 2022 despite not matching his Heisman numbers. He finished with 3,328 yards, 32 touchdowns, five interceptions, a 64.5% completion percentage and added four touchdowns on the ground.

Over the course of his career, Young had 8,356 yards, 80 touchdowns, 12 interceptions, a 65.8% completion percentage and seven touchdowns on the ground.

As a member of the Class of 2020, Young was a five-star recruit out of Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He was the No. 1 overall prospect in the class, the No. 1 quarterback in the class and the No. 2 overall prospect in the class.