| Let’s talk about Bryce Young and why, even at 5-foot-whatever, he should be the top pick in the upcoming NFL draft.
Yeah, it’s too early for mock drafts, but go ahead and skip down below (after reading this, of course) to read Charles McDonald’s first installment, where he has … Ohio State QB CJ Stroud going No. 1.
Stroud may end up being a big-time pro, but with QB drafts, you never know. As Frank Schwab points out (again below), even sure-fire picks aren’t exactly sure-fire. The QB Class of 2021 was lauded as the best since 1983. A third of the way into Year 3, not even Trevor Lawrence has emerged as a star — not with his 6-foot-6 stature or his rocket arm or his athleticism in and out of the pocket.
Quarterbacks that check all the physical boxes aren’t a dime a dozen, but they’re not exactly rare, either. For every Josh Allen or Patrick Mahomes that pays off, there’s a Jameis Winston or Sam Bradford who busts.
Which is why when it comes to quarterbacks, the most important part of the player isn’t his arm or his legs, but his head. Tom Brady isn’t still playing at a high level at 45 because of his athleticism or his arm strength. He’s just a really smart player who can get his offense in the right play, his line in the right blocking scheme, make the correct read — quickly — and deliver the ball when and where it needs to be.
It's why, despite being probably the slowest QB in the league, he’s been sacked just nine times, or 14 times fewer than Justin Fields, one of the fastest.
Bryce Young appears to have that same “it” factor as Brady.
If you have watched Alabama play this season (or last), you’ve seen the weekly clinic Young puts on. He completes a lot of passes (67 percent), throws a lot of touchdowns (around 3 a game) and doesn’t throw interceptions (just 10 in 755 attempts). He can run, but always keeps his eyes downfield looking to make a play, like this one last Saturday with ‘Bama trailing Tennessee midway through the fourth quarter: | 
