Tennessee EDGE rusher Byron Young was selected as the 77th pick in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams on Friday.
Young had unique journey to Knoxville, working at a Dollar General in Georgia when he decided to tryout for the Georgia Military College football team. After an impressive season in the junior college ranks, Young garnered interested from SEC programs before signing with the Vols in 2021.
Young was consistent piece on Tennessee's defense over the last two seasons, headlining a unit that was among the league leaders in stopping the run.
He was largely considered a second or third round pick on most mock drafts.
By the numbers
Young made an instant impact when he arrived at Tennessee two seasons ago.
The 6-foot-3, 245-pound edge rusher played in 11 games while starting eight in 2021. He tied for the team lead in sacks with 5.5 and tackles for loss at 11.5 and ranked second among Tennessee defensive lineman in total tackles with 46.
Young started every game during the 2022 season at the LEO position where he led the team with seven sacks as well as 12 tackles for loss and 14 quarterback hurries. He had a proven ability to get to the quarterback, finishing among the top five in the SEC with 42 quarterback pressures.
In his last outing with Tennessee, Young totaled two sacks and three tackles in the Vols' 31-14 Orange Bowl win over Clemson.
Aside from what he did on the field, Young improved his draft stock with a strong NFL Scouting Combine showing. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.43 seconds, the 10-yard split in 1.62 seconds and reached 38 inches in the vertical jump and 11-feet in the broad jump.
What they’re saying
ESPN analyst Louis Riddick: “This guy is a phenomenal, phenomenal athlete. And if you’re the Los Angeles Rams, you’re going OK, we’ve got some juice coming off the edge. Because you’re talking about a 6-foot-2, 250-pound player who runs 4.41, who can get around that edge, Von Miller-like.”
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