Dynasty Rookie Draft Profile: Bryce Young (2023 Fantasy Football)

To help you prepare for your dynasty rookie and startup drafts, Derek Brown is putting together a dynasty rookie outlook for each and every fantasy-relevant 2023 NFL Draft prospect. We are combining DBro’s fantasy outlook with the NFL Draft profile of Matthew Jones. Here’s our dynasty rookie draft profile for Bryce Young.

Expert Consensus 2023 Dynasty Superflex Rookie Draft Rankings: Top-50

Dynasty Rookie Draft Profile: Bryce Young

Bryce Young Dynasty Rookie Draft Outlook

Bryce Young has the arm strength to make all the NFL-level throws, but he’ll never be confused as a quarterback with a rifle for an arm. When he fails to set his feet in the pocket and attempts to put zip on the ball, he can get erratic with low throws or sailing the ball. His accuracy on the run is surprisingly good and fluid, though, as he throws with touch with enough juice. Young can lace some balls into tight windows and deep to the boundaries when he’s in rhythm and feeling it (Georgia SEC Championship 2021). He can also be erratic, especially past 25-30 yards downfield.

Young’s pocket presence is solid as he displays escapability and playmaking ability outside of structure. He can utilize multiple arm angles in the pocket and on the move to facilitate accurate passes. His rushing upside is real at the NFL level. He rarely takes big hits, protecting himself well by sliding. His open-field agility and burst are nice.

Young has all the tools to succeed in the NFL, but some areas of his game still need to be polished. He is sometimes slow on the trigger, looking a second behind on some progressions and throws. Young will lock onto his first read and attempt some head-scratching passes into tight coverage when open receivers are running crossers over the middle of the field. This is more evident in his 2022 film, with a downgraded cast of characters surrounding him. It still popped up in 2021, but he played with more confidence in this season with Jameson Williams and John Metchie at his side. Young reminds me of watching Trevor Lawrence’s final season film in that regard. He does have plenty of instances on film going from his first read all the way down the ladder to his third option.

Young plays with tempered aggression, but he’s still learning. He has no issues fitting the ball into a tight window in the short and intermediate regions or taking the check down when nothing is open. In 2022, he opted for check downs or to take off running more which can be a reflection of his surrounding cast, but it’s also a reflection of him. There are moments during that season where he bailed clean pockets or missed open wide receivers when he failed to come off his first read. Young is still trying to find the perfect balance between aggression and taking what the defense gives him.

– Derek Brown

Check out all of our 2023 NFL Draft Scouting Reports & Prospect Profiles

Bryce Young 2023 NFL Draft Outlook

Young was considered the favorite to go first overall in this year’s class after his Heisman campaign but wasn’t able to replicate that success as a junior. Could still end up being the first pick in the draft and will certainly hear his name called very early, but may no longer be the consensus top passer. Consistently does things few other passers do, with a rare combination of playmaking skills, decision-making, anticipation, and accuracy that will have quarterback-needy teams at the top of the draft salivating.

– Matthew Jones

Projection: Top-5 Overall Pick

Check out the full 2023 NFL Draft profile for Bryce Young here