Rams pick at 77 … Young, edge

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  • #143610
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    Bryon Young, Edge, Tennessee

    #143611
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    #143612
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    BYRON YOUNG | Tennessee 6023 | 250 lbs. | 5SR Georgetown, S.C. (Carvers Bay) 3/13/1998 (age 25.12) #6

    BACKGROUND: Byron Young, who is one of three children, was born and raised in Georgetown (coastal city 60 miles north of Charleston). He attended Carvers Bay High School in Hemingway, S.C., where he was a four-year letterman. Young played on all three phases in high school as a 215-pound running back, defensive end and kick returner. As a senior in 2016, he received 2A All-State honors. A no-star recruit, Young wasnā€™t ranked by online recruiting services and didnā€™t have the grades to attend a Division I school. In 2017, he enrolled at a Gulf Coast Sports Academy, a postgraduate school in Mount Vernon, Ala., to get his academics back on track. However, he left after a few months as the program started to disband. Young moved to Columbus, Ga., where he worked as the assistant manager at a Dollar General Store for 18 months. After seeing a flier for tryouts, he joined the football team at Georgia Military College in spring of 2019 and rediscovered his love for the sport. As a freshman in 2019, Young (who also worked at Circle K to make ends meet) finished with 31 tackles, 11.0 tackles for loss and 7.0 sacks. The 2020 season was canceled because of the pandemic, but Young produced enough tape to be a three-star juco recruit and the No. 1 ranked juco edge rusher in the 2021 recruiting class. In the fall of 2020, Young received offers from Auburn, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. He graduated with his associateā€™s degree in November and signed with the Volunteers in December. Young was ruled ineligible for the first two games of the 2021 season because of his short stint at postgraduate school in 2017. He accepted his invitation to the 2023 Senior Bowl.

    YEAR (GP/GS) TKLS TFL SACK FF PD INT NOTES
    2017: Gulf Coast Sports Academy (Ala.) Only played in two games before leaving the program
    2018: Out of football
    2019: Georgia Military College
    2020: Georgia Military College Season was canceled (COVID), but he practiced with the team
    2021: (11/8) 46 11.5 5.5 0 2 1 Tennessee; Led team in TFL, sacks; Enrolled in January 2021; Missed first two games (ruled ineligible)
    2022: (13/13) 37 12.0 7.0 0 0 0 Tennessee; First Team All-SEC; Led team in sacks
    Total: (24/21) 83 23.5 12.5 0 2 1

    HT WT ARM HAND WING 40-YD 20-YD 10-YD VJ BJ SS 3C BP
    COMBINE 6023 250 32 1/2 9 1/4 79 1/8 4.40 2.58 1.54 38 11ā€™0ā€ – 7.19 22 (no shuttle ā€“ leg cramp when warming up)
    PRO DAY 6024 252 – – – – – – – – – – – (position drills only ā€“ choice)

    STRENGTHS: Rushes with athletic twitch and a quick first step ā€¦ understands rush depth and angles to stress offensive tackles in space ā€¦ physical swipe/rip moves to knock away the reach of blockers and grease the edge ā€¦ exceptional quickness on loops and stunts ā€¦ picks up steam as a bull rusher, slams his hands into blockers and drives his legs to create movement ā€¦ relentless motor and flashes chase speed from the backside ā€¦ has the ball GPS to alter his rush path and find a new track to the football ā€¦ has experience dropping in space to cover screens ā€¦ every coach along his unique journey singles out his drive and determination ā€¦ posted doubledigit tackles for loss in his two seasons in Knoxville.

    WEAKNESSES: His frame is limber but undersized and lacks desired length ā€¦ rudimentary rush setup and doesnā€™t always have a plan ā€¦ tends to mistime his swipe moves ā€¦ hands are aggressive, but they bring more pop than creativity ā€¦ unimaginative counter measures ā€¦ physical at the point of attack in the run game but doesnā€™t own it and struggles to set the edge ā€¦ will lose leverage in space as a run defender ā€¦ questionable peripherals and gets locked in on the football ā€¦ older player and is already 25 ā€¦ doesnā€™t have the framework of an every-down player.

    SUMMARY: A two-year starter at Tennessee, Young played boundary defensive end (LEO role) in defensive coordinator Tim Banksā€™ 4-3 base, standing up and rushing with his hand on the ground. Heā€™s had a winding football journey since high school, including two years working at a Dollar General and Circle K to support himself while he got his football career back on track. A ā€œwind him up and let him looseā€ type of rusher, Young is an explosive, hard charger and at his best on T/E stunts because of the balance and quickness to stay on his rush path. However, he is undersized and, his role will be limited at the next level because of his deficiencies in closed areas. Overall, Young can be engulfed in the run game, and his rush stalls too quickly at contact, but his energy and pass-rush flashes lead to backfield plays. Though he has limitations in the run game, he has the potential to make a living as a glorified sub-rusher in the NFL.

    GRADE: 3rd-4th Round

    #143613
    Avatar photocanadaram
    Participant

    <header>

    Byron Young ER Tennessee

    </header>

    STRENGTHS
    Byron has the potential to be a solid edge rusher for the team that selects him. He has the length and athletic talent to get into the backfield quickly and be disruptive. He does a good job working stunts inside and out with his teammates and looks to be an excellent teammate overall. Byron has a lot of hidden talents and if the team that selects him can find and develop those hidden talents Byron can become a core player for that team.

    CONCERNS
    Byron has poor pass-rushing foot mechanics and this along with a lack of using his length to explode off the snap of the ball is holding him back from being more impacting. Using your inside foot to turn the corner when pass rushing will not do at the next level. Add to this the fact he doesnā€™t get off blocks quickly enough or identify where the ball is in the backfield or understand down and distance anticipation and you have an athletic developmental edge rusher.

    BOTTOM LINE: 4.17
    The truth is, personal stories do not affect my profiling except to judge how that personal story may help a player be more competitive than other players. Heā€™s a good person and comes from a good family, doesnā€™t do anything for me. Iā€™m profiling the person, not anything else. Byron looks to be a good person and thatā€™s good but that also should be the norm and not the exception. So, letā€™s move on. Byron is way behind in his football IQ and techniques and when I look at the film, I think Iā€™ll let some other team go through the process of his first contract and see where he is after that first stage of his pro football life. Iā€™m sure he has an excellent work ethic to improve and develop and after his first contract is completed he just might be a free agent find.

    • This reply was modified 1 year, 6 months ago by Avatar photocanadaram.
    #143614
    Avatar photoInvaderRam
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    i don’t know anything about him, but his combine numbers scream speed and explosion.

     

    4.43 40

    38″ vert

    11′ broad

     

    his 3-cone not that impressive though.Ā  7.19.Ā  and he’s not the biggest guy.Ā  he’s also 25 years old.

     

    also.Ā  i was wondering why darnell washington was falling.Ā  apparently he has a knee injury that is scaring off some teams.

    #143615
    Avatar photozn
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    PARAM
    Riddick showed some great stuff. Fast, quick off the snap, pursuit, high motor.
    #143617
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    #143618
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    .

    #143619
    JackPMiller
    Participant

    I like the pick. My gut says the Rams traded down, because they knew either Harrison or Young would drop there. They had both at the same grade, I feel that CB is next. Kellee Ringo, Eli Ricks, Darius Rush or Riley Moss? Who ever drops. Safety is a chance as well, with Antonio Johnson, or Jordan Battle.

    #143621
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    #143622
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    #143623
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    J.B. Long@JB_Long
    Nice little sequence there. Rams upgrade a 6th by almost a full round and add a late 4th to their portfolio… while still addressing a priority with an EDGE at pick 77 who ran 4.43.
    .
    Jourdan Rodrigue@JourdanRodrigue
    Byron Young mentions his ghost rush as one of his favorite pass-rush moves. Who does he model it after? ā€œVon Millerā€.
    #143638
    Avatar photoBilly_T
    Participant

    Just a guess. But Young may be relatively young in football years, cuz he was away from the game for a bit. Doesn’t have the wear and tear of most players his age (25).

    YEAR (GP/GS) TKLS TFL SACK FF PD INT NOTES
    2017: Gulf Coast Sports Academy (Ala.) Only played in two games before leaving the program
    2018: Out of football
    2019: Georgia Military College
    2020: Georgia Military College Season was canceled (COVID), but he practiced with the team
    2021: (11/8) 46 11.5 5.5 0 2 1 Tennessee; Led team in TFL, sacks; Enrolled in January 2021; Missed first two games (ruled ineligible)
    2022: (13/13) 37 12.0 7.0 0 0 0 Tennessee; First Team All-SEC; Led team in sacks
    Total: (24/21) 83 23.5 12.5 0 2 1CONTENTS

    #143656
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    #143660
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    Jourdan Rodrigue@JourdanRodrigue
    From our analysis on OLB Byron Young, Rams pick No. 77: “Athletic twitch, quick first step, picks up steam as a bull-rusher…relentless motor…not yet every-down player (re. run defense).” High upside as speed rusher with some power waiting to be developed.
    #143664
    Avatar photozn
    Moderator

    Rams pick Byron Young: Adds speed, rushing power to inexperienced position

    New Rams edge Byron Young, who was selected at pick No. 77 on Friday night, has had quite the journey.

    He went from no-star recruit who didnā€™t have the grades to attend a Division I school, to postgraduate school to get his grades together, to assistant manager at Dollar General where he saw a flier for tryouts at Georgia Military College in the spring of 2019. From there, Young (who also lost the 2020 season because of the pandemic), got his tape to junior colleges and eventually became the No. 1 ranked juco edge rusher in the 2021 recruiting class. He graduated with his associateā€™s degree in November and signed with Tennessee in December.

    Thatā€™s where RamsĀ area scout Billy Johnson latched on to his potential, and saw it all the way into the pick sent in by general manager Les Snead and head coach Sean McVay.

    ā€œProps to him, for the journey heā€™s been on,ā€ Johnson said. ā€œWhen you turn the tape on, he stands out (from) the explosiveness that he shows and being able to get off the ball and generate pressures just from a speed aspect of it.ā€

    Senior personnel executive Brian Xanders noted that Young had 80 sacks, hits and pressures total over his unique career.

    ā€œEverybody (on our staff) has done two years of tape on him, and he just shows this explosiveness, the power, speed, the closing acceleration,ā€ Xanders said. ā€œHeā€™s an explosive, big, powerful edge rusher that is disruptive and tough.ā€

    Xanders noted that in the Ramsā€™ internal analytics profiling system, Young tested in the top 10 percent of the edge rushers they evaluated in this class.

    Young ranked No. 116 on Dane Bruglerā€™s list of Top 300 prospects and was his No. 17 overall edge prospect in this yearā€™s draft class.

    How he fits

    Young adds a lot of speed and rushing power to a really young, inexperienced outside linebacker rotation currently in Los Angeles. His versatility as a pass rusher will mean defensive coordinator Raheem Morris and outside linebackers coach Joe Coniglio will expect to move him in a variety of different packages, on a variety of downs. Brugler noted that Young needs to improve his ability against the run, and after just a short time in Division I football itā€™s understandable that Young is a work in progress here. He and Coniglio discussed his development in this phase in their pre-draft Zoom call earlier this month.

    Young noted Friday that he loves his ā€œghostā€ pass-rush move, which he models after future Hall of Fame outside linebackerĀ Von MillerĀ (who won a Super Bowl with the Rams).

    Rookie impact

    The Ramsā€™ defense is extremely thin and there will be a competition at nearly every position on the roster. Young has the opportunity to work in a rotation withĀ Michael HoechtĀ (another player who is an intriguing blend of speed and power) andĀ Daniel HardyĀ (a smaller speed rusher). Of course, itā€™s never terrible to haveĀ Aaron Donald in the middle. Young will also have a shot on special teams, because his 4.43-second 40-yard dash is an eye-popping addition to their coverage units.

    <p class=”go-deeper-title”>Early expectationsĀ </p>

    The Rams lacked diversity and in turn, effectiveness in their pass-rusher combinations in 2022, and Morris had to dig deeper into the bag of blitzes and pressures from defensive backfield players and linebackers, which left the middle of the field under their match-zone vulnerable to the quick-game. Teams got the ball out at record rates against the Rams last season. Picking Young, who blends a versatile package of rush techniques with his speed, seems to be a direct counter to that.

    Fast evaluation

    Young has proven over his journey that he is relentless. The Rams drafted him with high expectations that his current techniques and extraordinary athletic ability will translate within their scheme and coaching into a special player. They also filled a big need at this pick.

    #143670
    Avatar photozn
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    #143673
    Avatar photoBilly_T
    Participant

    I think his age lowers his eval a bit among scouts, even though as mentioned above, he likely hasn’t taken the punishment of his age peers. Far fewer snaps, etc. His height hurts him a bit, too.

    If he were 23 and 6’4″, he’s probably top 10 among the edges, easily. Guessing 6 or 7 on Brugler’s list, instead of 17, with a 1st-2nd round grade, instead of 3rd-4th.

    But, again, NFL team boards are waaay different from the boards we see from public draft gurus. Jourdan has been hinting about that difference lately, from her insider-access position, among other aspects of the Draft. Apparently, that access brings a lot of perks, but she can’t tell us about them — yet.

    I like the pick, and Avila’s. Just wish Young really were younger, and could suddenly morph into 6’4″, 6’5″.

    ;>)

    #143674
    Avatar photozn
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    I’m not worried about height. There are examples of edge rushers/OLBs in that height range. Shaquil Barrett, who peaked from 2019-21 with 37.5 sacks in that period, is 6’2 250. Haason Reddick (16 sks 2022) is 6’1 235. Micah Parsons (13.5 sks 2022) is 6’3 245. Remember Robert Mathis? 135 career sacks at 6’2 245.

    #143809
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    #143889
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    from PFF: https://www.pff.com/news/draft-2023-nfl-draft-grades-all-day-2-picks#RD3

    R3 (77)Ā LOS ANGELES RAMSĀ (VIA NE): EDGEĀ BYRON YOUNG, TENNESSEE

    Pick Grade: Good

    The Rams have quickly become really thin along the defensive front aroundĀ Aaron Donald.Ā Young projects as a good fit in Los Angelesā€™ defense, and heā€™s one of the most explosive edge prospects in this class off the edge.Ā He is by no means a finished product, as he falls into the 25th percentile in PFF pass-rush grade over the last two seasons, but he has traits worth betting on at this stage of the draft.

    #143947
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    #144167
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    #144168
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    #144169
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    #144170
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    #144291
    Avatar photozn
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    .

    #144548
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