With the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Carolina Panthers picked Alabama quarterback Bryce Young. Young is the Panthers' second quarterback selected with the first overall choice in the NFL Draft in their history. Recall that Carolina selected Cam Newton first overall in the 2011 draft. Here we'll look at the three pro player comparisons for top pick Bryce Young of the Panthers.

Young was the first Alabama player to throw for over 3,000 yards in separate seasons and set the school's single-season records for passing yards and touchdowns. He finished his college career as the second-highest passer in yards and touchdowns. Remember that the Panthers traded with the Chicago Bears to acquire the top pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. The Panthers gave up wide receiver DJ Moore, future first- and second-round draft picks, and a 2025 second-round pick to get Young.

As a high school player, he was twice named MaxPreps Player of the Year. After backing up current NFL quarterback Mac Jones, he dominated college football for the past two seasons. He won the Heisman Trophy and led his team to the national championship game. Despite missing the playoffs this past season, he was still a Heisman finalist.

While Young is shorter than the average NFL quarterback, he has played against similarly sized players in college and performed exceptionally well. His college production was the best of all quarterback prospects in this year's draft. He was rated the best passer in the FBS in 2022 and excelled in passing yards and touchdowns when under pressure. Young's accuracy also increased under pressure as he progressed through college.

Let’s look at the three pro player comparisons for Bryce Young.

1. Drew Brees

Many scouts and personnel people have drawn comparisons between the undersized Young and Drew Brees. Young's accuracy and ability to consistently make plays for his receivers are reminiscent of Brees, but he also brings more creativity and out-of-structure playmaking to the game. Young's pocket poise is comparable to Brees, who was a 13-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion. However, Young's ability to thrive as an undersized quarterback is his most significant similarity to Brees.

Despite being a shade under 6'0, Young has established himself as the top-rated quarterback due to his impressive arm strength. Many coaches believe that Young has all the necessary tools to be successful in the NFL, despite his modest stature. Brees, who also stood at around the same height, focused on his production as a pure quarterback and finished his career with 80,358 passing yards. That's the second-highest in NFL history. Brees' accuracy, completing 67.7 percent of his passes, was perhaps his best attribute.

Many see Young as a slightly smaller version of Brees. That's given their shared traits such as accuracy on intermediate throws and center of gravity when running. Ultimately, the comparison between the two quarterbacks holds some merit. They both possess a similar skill set and have achieved success despite being undersized.

2. Tua Tagovailoa

Bryce Young could also be compared to Miami's Tua Tagovailoa. Both share Drew Brees's accuracy from the pocket and excel at making plays with multiple reads and progressions. Despite being taller than Young at 6'1, Tagovailoa is also outside the current median range for QB height. He was also similarly successful with the Crimson Tide. Among QBs selected in the first round who measure 6'1 or shorter in the last 15 years, Tagovailoa has the best passer rating of 95.0. He also has a 65.7 percent completion rate.

3. Tony Romo

Once again, Bryce Young is a short and slim quarterback who has a quick release and displays patience in the pocket. He is an adept athlete who can evade pressure, but he may not outrun many defenders in the NFL. Young's creativity as an athlete is impressive, although his style can be a bit frenzied when things break down, and he tends to make throws from an unbalanced base. His arm strength and deep ball accuracy are good, but not exceptional.

Despite this, Young is experienced in reading the entire field and makes quick progressions through his reads. He is highly accurate, although not quite at an elite level, and is adept at spotting open receivers during a scramble. Young is also known for his toughness, although he did take a lot of sacks in college. His poise under pressure is impressive for someone his age. Overall, he is reminiscent of Tony Romo due to his combination of skills and abilities. Romo was the Cowboys' starting quarterback from 2006 through 2015. During his career, he guided the Cowboys to four postseason berths, earning Pro Bowl accolades on each occasion. From 2006 to 2013, he also had the highest fourth-quarter passing rating of any NFL quarterback.