Rams unlikely to keep Byron Young in 2027?

Rams head coach Sean McVay said the team fully expects Young to play on Sunday. That is great news. Young is up to 56 tackles, 74 quarterback pressures and a team-high 13 sacks this season. Although he has banked six quarterback pressures in two games against the Seahawks this season, he has not yet recorded a sack against them.

Rams head coach Sean McVay told reporters that keeping Young sidelined thus far is a precautionary measure. The Rams’ sack leader (13) is still expected to play. Young ranks second on the team in quarterback pressures (74) and fifth in tackles (56). Rams S Quentin Lake (illness) resumed practicing fully today.

Young tallied five combined tackles in the Rams’ Divisional Round win over the Bears. He starts out this week not practicing due to a knee injury he has been managing for a good chunk of this season. Also not practicing was DB Quentin Lake (illness). Practice reports later in the week will provide more clarity, but both Young and Lake look to be playing in the Championship game against the Seahawks.

Rams S Kamren Kinchens (shoulder) also did not practice. Both Young and Kinchens are starters and key contributors to the Rams defense, so losing both would leave the team short-handed against the Panthers in Week 13. They will need to log practice time in order to have a chance at playing on Sunday.

A true speed-merchant who struck fear in the hearts of SEC left tackles with his 1.62 10-yard split acceleration, Young (6’2/250) is a hypersonic edge who rang up 42 pressures, 12 TFL and 7.0 sacks en route to an All-SEC First Team nod. The JUCO transfer was out of football for a year and a half after high school before getting a shot at Georgia Military College and parlaying that opportunity into a scholarship at UT. Young is verifiably athletic and versatile, dropping into coverage when called upon and chasing down plays thanks to his hot running motor. Though his expeditious first step is a core weapon that all his counters stem from, he sometimes gets knocked off his rush line and can be handled by physical tight ends. He struggles to disengage from blockers in run defense and will be 25 years old during the season, which in theory limits upside since he has to be more proficient in his pass rush mechanics. However when it comes to running the loop and stressing tackles with topflight acceleration, Young has rare, native athleticism that he used to torture 2023 NFL Draft caliber offensive linemen at the Senior Bowl. His blinding speed was backed up by a ridiculous 4.40 40-yard dash (99th percentile), 9.23 RAS and high-end SEC production. Young reminds us of former USC edge defender Drake Jackson.