Trying to pin down an NFL comparison for Bryce Young has been about as difficult as defenders’ attempts at chasing down Alabama’s former Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback.

Young is the roughly same size as Kyler Murray, but their playing styles are different. Young is similar in height to Drew Brees, has some improvisation abilities some have compared to Patrick Mahomes, and can make plays outside the pocket like Russell Wilson. And if you ask Young, Aaron Rodgers’ name will likely come up first.

But during Monday night’s first episode of “On the Clock” — a pre-draft series produced by Omaha Productions and NFL Films that features the top 2023 quarterbacks — Peyton Manning offers a less-often cited comparison to Young: former LSU and current Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow.

“I think Brees and Russell Wilson are kind of the easy comparisons because of the size similarities,” Manning says during the half-hour episode that airs at 7 p.m. CT on ESPN2. “But when you talk to real scouts — Burrow is kind of the guy that comes to mind, right? Because of, sort of, the sixth sense in the pocket, the decision-making, processing information quickly.

“I’m not saying Bryce is going to have that same success as Joe right away. But I think the instincts that Joe has that Bryce had, the ability to beat the coverage keeps a lot of plays alive. … Recognition, processing, instincts, you see a little bit of Joe Burrow in Bryce Young.”

The four-part series also includes Tennessee’s Hendon Hooker, Kentucky’s Will Levis and Florida’s Anthony Richardson. It is produced by NFL Films and Omaha Productions, which is Manning’s company that also produces ESPN’s alternate broadcast for some of its Monday Night Football games.

Like those Monday night shows, “On the Clock” features both Peyton and Eli Manning. Reacted Eli to Peyton’s mention of Burrow: “I like that comparison. I wouldn’t have thought of that.”

Young and Ohio State’s CJ Stroud are considered the two quarterbacks the Carolina Panthers are choosing between with the No. 1 overall pick of the draft, which begins April 27 in Kansas City. Stroud remains the betting favorite to taken first, according to TheLines.com, and most major outlets’ mock drafts have leaned Stroud’s direction in recent weeks.

But ESPN reporter Chris Mortensen — whose son Alex worked closely with Young on Alabama’s staff the past three seasons — said this week that Young “is the pick” for the Panthers at No. 1.

“I think he’s the most game-ready,” Eli Manning said of Young during Monday’s episode. “He can play early in his NFL career, just by the style of offense that he’s been in and how well he’s played in it.”

The episode addresses the biggest pre-draft knock against Young, his height. At 5-foot-10 and 1/8 inch, he will match Murray as the shortest first-round quarterback since at least 2003, and at 204 pounds will be the lightest.

“He’s been playing at this height for a while now,” Peyton Manning said. “You figure out. Drew Brees figured it out as well as anybody, right? You find throwing lanes. It would be different if he was 6-4 all through college and now all of the sudden he’s 5-10. He knows how to do it.”

Added Eli Manning: “You can find the windows and find the lanes. He’s obviously done it at an extremely high level his whole career. I’m not worried about the height at all.”

Mike Rodak is an Alabama beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @mikerodak.