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Bryce Young

Bryce Young’s exemplary processing skills show he’s the most NFL ready quarterback

Bryce Young (#9) throws a pass for Alabama in SEC Championship Game versus Georgia
Photo by Kent Gidley of Alabama Athletics

Mel Kiper, an ESPN NFL Draft expert, was not joking when he said Bryce Young is the best he has seen when it comes to processing information as a quarterback.

Young’s elite mental capacity as an athlete was on display in the pre-draft S2 Cognitive Test. 

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The test evaluates a quarterback’s ability to process information, formations, and schemes.

It judges abilities in visual learning, instinctive learning, impulsive control, and improvisation. A composite score is averaged from all four categories. Young scored a 98 — according to Albert Breer, a Senior NFL Reporter for the Monday Morning Quarterback. His grade was higher than Joe Burrow’s, Justin Fields’, and Josh Allen’s, despite all three scoring in the 90’s.

All three quarterbacks were top-15 NFL Draft picks, while Burrow was the No. 1 overall selection in the 2021 NFL Draft. The Wonderlic Test is a cognitive test too; however, it is a quick intelligence test. Players have 12 minutes to answer 50 multiple-choice questions that range from different subjects. The S2 Cognitive test is strictly on how well a player process things and executes properly. Young performed exceptionally well in this area as a quarterback for the University of Alabama. 

He totaled 8,200 passing yards and 79 passing touchdowns in two years as a starter. Young became the first Crimson Tide quarterback to win the Heisman Memorial Trophy. It is looking more like he may be the first overall pick in the draft.

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Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine.  You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.

Stephen Smith is a 2015 graduate of the University of Alabama. He is a senior writer and reporter for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. He has covered Alabama football for 10+ years and his knowledge and coverage of the Crimson Tide's program have made him among the most respected journalist in his field. Smith has been featured on ESPN and several other marquee outlets as an analyst.

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