Panthers HC: Bryce Young's Football IQ on Par with Peyton Manning, Andrew Luck, More

A throwaway play from Bryce Young's freshman season left Carolina Panthers head coach Frank Reich convinced the Alabama star has the on-field IQ to thrive in the NFL.

While mopping up for Mac Jones in a blowout win over Tennessee in 2020, Young hit John Metchie for a 12-yard completion in the fourth quarter. Reich explained to NBC Sports' Peter King he was more impressed with how Young adjusted the pass protection before the snap, calling a five-man slide:

"That play just confirmed everything we were thinking and already know. Just confirmed the level of football IQ he has that's on par with Peyton [Manning], [Matt] Ryan, [Philip] Rivers, [Andrew] Luck. I'm telling you: There are quarterbacks in the NFL who haven't done what he did right there—and he did it easily in his true freshman year in college. To have the confidence to make that call for Alabama in his second college game. Unreal."

Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban had similar praise for Young last fall. He called the 2021 Heisman Trophy winner "one of the best guys that I've ever been around, pro or college, when it comes to understanding the defense and making the calls to get people picked up on the blitz."

When it comes to Young, the question marks almost exclusively center around his physical tools. He measured 5'10" and 204 pounds at the NFL Scouting Combine, putting him at the small end of the spectrum for an NFL quarterback. Unlike Kyler Murray, who's almost the exact same size, he isn't a natural runner.

That obviously didn't stop the Panthers from selecting Young with the first overall pick.

As much as the 21-year-old's height will always present a bit of a challenge, he's such a savvy field general he might have no trouble finding a way to work around that flaw.