Byron Young NFL Draft Overview
Position: Edge Defender
Height: 6′-2″
Weight: 250 pounds
School: Tennessee
2023 NFL Draft: Byron Young Scouting Report
After a wild college football journey that started at Dollar General and ended at Tennessee, Byron Young has officially declared for the 2023 NFL Draft .The edge defender is coming off a remarkable season, appearing in 13 games while recording 37 tackles, 12 tackles-for-loss, and seven sacks.
Unlike the vast majority of the players in the NFL Draft, Byron Young did not begin his college football career right after high school. Instead, he spent the better part of two years working at a Dollar General. He finally earned his opportunity as a walk-on at Georgia Military College and immediately started to gain some national attention.
Viewed as one of the best JUCO players out there, Byron Young joined Tennessee prior to the start of the 2021 season. During his first year in the SEC, the edge defender recorded 46 tackles, 11.5 tackles-for-loss, 5.5 sacks, and one interception.
Strengths
- Blows past tackles with insane speed off the snap;
- Relentless motor – never stops until the play is dead;
- Impressive athleticism – 98th percentile broad jump and 40-yard dash;
- Chases down plays with ease;
- Fast reflexes allows him to beat tackles with first step;
- Highly effective on stunts.
Weaknesses
- Goes too fast for his own good sometimes – top of body isn’t always in sync with bottom;
- Small for the position – will likely struggle against the run;
- Could stand to add some strength – right now, exclusively wins with speed;
- Can get knocked off his rush by strong contact;
- Very old – will be 25 by Week 1.
NFL Comparison: Poor mans Haason Reddick
Teams With Need at Position: Arizona Cardinals, Baltimore Ravens, Carolina Panthers, Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Rams, New Orleans Saints, Seattle Seahawks
Projection: Round 3
Bottom Line on Byron Young
Byron Young is limited in what he can do, but there is a home in the NFL for a player like him. He’s easily at his best when he can completely ignore the run and put his heart and soul into getting after the quarterback. His snap reaction is second to none, and his elite speed and acceleration will let him blow past opposing tackles at the NFL level. Additionally, even if the tackles are able to match his initial speed, he won’t give up and will try to beat blockers with his secondary moves. This speed also allows him to be a menace on stunts, as he can fly into the unblocked area before opposing linemen are able to communicate with each other.
Stopping the pass is the most important thing in today’s league, and Byron Young’s gifts as a pass rusher ensure he’ll hear his name during the 2023 NFL Draft. However, his completely inability against the run will likely limit him to situational work, at least in the short term. He lacks the size and strength to play contain and collapse the pocket in general. Perhaps an NFL-caliber weight progam will increase his muscle, but that’s anything but a sure bet. Additionally, he could also refine his pass-rushing moves so his body works more evenly when getting after the quarterback.
My NFL comparison for Byron Young is Haason Reddick, but any team drafting him shouldn’t expect a 16-sack campaign. The former first-round pick didn’t record more than four sacks in any given season until 2020, his fourth year in the league. Reddick needed time to learn how to overcome his smaller build, and the same thing could happen with Young. However, his advanced age means that it’s going to be harder for him to learn all there is to know about getting after the quarterback. You can’t teach an old dog new tricks, after all.
Ultimately, Byron Young is, at the very least, going to be an effective situational pass rusher that should probably rack up about 3-5 sacks during his first season in the league. However, if he’s able to refine his fundamentals and learn how to play the run, he could be a consistent starter and a borderline 10-sack guy.
Main Photo: Kirby Lee – USA Today Sports
