If Alabama quarterback Bryce Young isn’t chosen by the Carolina Panthers with the first pick in the NFL Draft on April 27, the 2021 Heisman Trophy winner’s height would not prevent Houston from choosing him at No. 2, Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said.

At the NFL Scouting Combine, Young measured one-eighth of an inch taller than 5-foot-10. Over the past 21 NFL seasons, the only regular starter at quarterback with a listed height shorter than 5-11 has been Kyler Murray, who took over under center for Arizona after the Cardinals made the 5-10 QB the first player picked in the 2019 draft.

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“The guy’s done it at the highest level of college football, and size hasn’t seemed to be a problem,” Ryans said about Young while attending the NFL’s annual meeting in Phoenix on Monday, “so I don’t see it as an issue because I’ve watched the tape. You put on the tape, and you see the kid play and you see how smart he is, you see the anticipation, you see the accuracy, you see how this guy is calm in critical moments, so when you see those things, size isn’t one of the factors that pops up on tape, like ‘Oh, man, this is a problem.’ Again, you just look at the track record, see what he’s done in the SEC. Highest level of college football – he’s been successful, and I think he’ll be successful in the NFL as well.”

The Panthers obtained the No. 1 pick from the Chicago Bears to draft a quarterback, and Young and Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud are considered Carolina’s top targets, although Kentucky’s Will Levis and Florida’s Anthony Richardson are looked upon as dark-horse candidates.

“Two good players. Two good, quality quarterbacks,” Ryans said about Stroud and Young. “We’ll see what happens in the draft.”

The Texans can bring 30 draft prospects to their facility for visits. They already have done so with Levis and plan to with Richardson, Stroud and Young as they evaluate their options at No. 2.

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Ryans said the top quality that he considers when evaluating quarterbacks doesn’t appear among the statistics.

“The most important attribute that I look for is: How’s his leadership style?” Ryans said. “How are those other 10 guys, can they look at you in the huddle and know, ‘Man, we can count on this guy to make a play? We believe in you.’ And then you have to look across the ball, and it’s those other 11 guys, those defensive guys. Can they look to that guy and can they count on him? Is that quarterback a guy who can galvanize a locker room and rally the troops and get guys to believe in him?

“That’s the trait. It’s easier said than done because only so few guys can do that.”

Ryans is preparing for his first season as the Texans’ head coach after serving as the San Francisco 49ers’ defensive coordinator.

A prep standout at Jess Lanier in Bessemer, Ryans earned unanimous All-American recognition, won the SEC Defensive Player of the Year Award and received the Lott IMPACT Trophy in 2005 as a senior at Alabama.

In 10 seasons as an NFL linebacker, Ryans won the NFL Rookie of the Year Award in 2006 and received two Pro Bowl invitations while playing with Houston.

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.