NFL Scouting Combine: Bryce Young plays down weight concerns as he measures in 204lbs

Alabama quarterback Bryce Young speaks to the media at the NFL Combine

Bryce Young's size beckoned as one of the most scrutinised factors heading into the 2023 NFL Draft, but this week the Alabama quarterback downplayed concerns and insisted he knows what he is capable of achieving on the field.

The potential No 1 overall pick measured in at 5'10" 1/8 and 204lbs at the Scouting Combine in Indianapolis on Saturday, confirming him as the lightest quarterback prospect in the last two decades.

Regardless, Young's game film speaks to the pocket manipulation, play extension, creativity, off-platform proficiency and precision passing of the frontrunner in this year's quarterback class.

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"I've been this size, respectfully, my whole life," he told reporters on Friday. "I know who I am, I know what I can do. And for me, I think it's fair. Everyone can speculate and ask whatever question is necessary.

"But I'm going to control what I can control and keep working my hardest to put myself in the best position. I'm confident in myself, I know what I can do, and I'm just excited to get to the next level."

Over his final two seasons at Alabama, Young completed 612 of 927 passes for 79 touchdowns to 12 interceptions, winning the Heisman Trophy and guiding his team to the National Championship in 2021.

The club of sub-six-foot quarterbacks to have found sustained success in the NFL is a relatively exclusive one: Sean Payton helped unlock a Hall of Famer in Drew Brees, Russell Wilson was a marvel in Seattle for the best part of a decade and Kyler Murray can do things of which few others in the league are capable.

Young's height may not differ from that of a Wilson or Murray, but he carries a significantly slighter frame.

How he translates to the next level might be THE story of the Draft such is the era-defining implications that come with picking him.

Richardson: I called myself Cam Jackson

Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson speaks to media at the NFL Combine

If not Young's size, Draft discourse had tended to lean heavily towards the potential of Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson and his coveted athleticism.

Richardson, who measured in at 6'4" and 244 lbs on Saturday, told reporters he started calling himself 'Cam Jackson' in the 11th grade in a combination of the two players he has sought to emulate growing up - Cam Newton and Lamar Jackson.

"I want to be a legend," said Richardson, asked where he envisions himself over the next five years. "I want to be like Patrick Mahomes. I want to be like Tom Brady. I want to be one of the greats. I will be one of the greats because I'm willing to work that hard to get to that point. So, to answer your question, I think I'm gonna be one of the greatest in the next few years."

With raw talent comes blockbuster execution, Richardson having flashed the off-script ability and outer-pocket threat widely sought-after in today's search for the modern NFL quarterback. He sits as perhaps the most intriguing evaluation in the class as teams assess the ceiling of accuracy and timing that would need improvement at the next level.

But as a prospect his skillset is difficult to avoid falling in love with, as is his dedication to the craft.

"Just being consistent with my accuracy," said Richardson of what he has been working on ahead of the Combine. "Using my arm, using my hips, using my feet, you know, just tying it all together and being consistent.

"Using my hips. A lot of people say I have a big arm, and I do believe so, but you can't just muscle the ball around all day, that's not gonna work. You gotta be tuned up, you gotta be tuned in with your mechanics."

Richardson threw for 2,549 yards and 17 touchdowns to nine interceptions in 12 games last season, while rushing for 654 yards and nine scores.