Rams draft results: L.A. selects EDGE Byron Young with 77th overall pick

Les Snead is going into the trenches for the 2023 NFL Draft

By Kenneth Arthur@KennethArthuRS Apr 28, 2023, 9:02pm CDT

With the 77th overall pick in the 2023 the NFL draft, the Los Angeles Rams have selected defensive end/edge Byron Young out of Tennessee. Young had some traits good enough to go towards the first round, but he is not his namesake.

He will be a 25-year-old rookie in 2023, but the Rams are getting a player added to the defensive line with a unique combination of size and speed.

Young is 6’2, 250 lbs, with 32.5” arms and he ran a 4.43 40-yard dash at the combine with a 1.62 10-yard split and a 38” vertical. He also posted a 11’ broad jump. Young spent 18 months not playing football after high school and then tried out for Georgia Military College before raising his profile as a JuCo recruit in 2020.

Lance Zierlein describes Young as “an explosive edge defender with disruptive play qualities” and despite his age he still has a lot to learn. An AFC scout said of Young, “He really appreciates every second he’s on the field and our coaches would love that. He probably ends up standing, but I think he’ll be better with a hand in the ground.”

The Rams chose a guard in the second round and they’ve gone to the other side of the trenches in the third round. They Rams made two trades down before selecting Young.