The Los Angeles Rams selected Tennessee edge rusher Byron Young with the 77th overall pick in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Young is the fourth Tennessee player that was taken in the third round and the fifth Tennessee player selected overall.
Darnell Wright went to the Bears at No. 10, Hendon Hooker to the Lions at No. 68, Jalin Hyatt to the New York Giants at No. 73, and Cedric Tillman to the Cleveland Brows at No. 74.
Young, as pick No. 77, is now heading to Los Angeles.
Young spent just two short years in Knoxville after transferring to Tennessee from a junior college. The defensive end was immediately one of the Vols’ top pass rushers tallying a team-high 5.5 sacks in 2021 and seven sacks in 2022.
The Georgetown, South Carolina native had an adversity-filled path to Tennessee but impressed in Knoxville with his athleticism and work ethic. Young had a pair of dominant games in his senior season recording 2.5 sacks in a win at LSU and 1.5 sacks in a win over Kentucky.
Added a pLAymaker to the defense. 😤
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— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) April 29, 2023
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The exciting proposition about Young is how far away he is from reaching his ceiling. An athletic freak, Young still is raw in his pass rushing skills and largely got by on his speed and athleticism at Tennessee. If he can continue to improve, Young has the potential to play in the league for a long time.
Young entered the draft process as a fringe day two or early day three selection but submitted himself as a mid round pick with strong performance’s at the Reese’s Senior Bowl and NFL Combine.
In Los Angeles, Young is the only former Tennessee player on the roster.
With the No. 77 overall pick in the 2023 @NFLDraft, the @RamsNFL select Byron Young!
📺: 2023 #NFLDraft on NFLN/ESPN/ABC
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/D3EqkrKdIw pic.twitter.com/oPgNzz87bO— NFL (@NFL) April 29, 2023
