The Los Angeles Rams were desperate for pass-rush help this offseason, which is why they drafted three of them in April. The first was Byron Young, a promising and chiseled pass rusher out of Tennessee.
Young will be a 25-year-old rookie with just two seasons at the FBS level, but he was productive in his brief time at Tennessee, recording 12.5 sacks in two years.
With so much uncertainty at outside linebacker, Young should get the opportunity to contribute early on in Los Angeles. Don’t be surprised if he ends up being one of the Rams’ most important players by the middle of the season.
2022 stats
- N/A (rookie)
- College stats: 37 tackles, 12 TFL, 7 sacks
Position group
The Rams’ outside linebacker group is not exactly flush with proven talent. Michael Hoecht is the only player at that position who has at least one career sack.
Young is a promising rookie with a ton of upside thanks to his athleticism and burst off the edge, which should earn him a starting job early on this season. But he’ll first need to beat out Keir Thomas and Daniel Hardy, two second-year players looking for opportunities, too.
Further down the depth chart, the Rams have rookies Nick Hampton and Ochaun Mathis, as well as Zach VanValkenburg. Not all of these players will make the 53-man roster, so Los Angeles will need to watch closely to see who deserves a look this year.
2023 outlook
Young made his only two seasons at the FBS level count, recording 11.5 tackles for a loss and 5.5 sacks in his first season at Tennessee and another 12 TFLs and seven sacks in Year 2. That was after impressing at the JUCO level, helping himself get drafted by the Rams in the third round. With 4.43 speed and a 38-inch vertical, his explosiveness is obviously there.
He just needs to turn that athleticism into production and play with a better pass-rush plan on the edge. As a 25-year-old rookie, he still doesn’t have a lot of experience playing against top-level competition, but he should be an impactful rookie right away.
I expect Young to either start in Week 1 or at the very least be a situational pass rusher on third down, helping pressure the quarterback alongside Aaron Donald in obvious passing situations.
