Former Vols edge rusher Byron Young needs to improve in one specific area ahead of his rookie season with Rams
Former Tennessee Vols edge rusher Byron Young has a golden opportunity as a rookie in the NFL. Young, who was selected in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams, is in line to start as a rookie this fall. That's partially due to the Rams' youth on the defensive […]
Former Tennessee Vols edge rusher Byron Young has a golden opportunity as a rookie in the NFL.
Young, who was selected in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams, is in line to start as a rookie this fall.
That's partially due to the Rams' youth on the defensive side of the ball. But it's also because Young has flashed some elite pass rushing abilities during training camp.
Young had a sack that was negated in the Rams' first preseason game and though the play didn't count, it gave a hint of what the former Vol is capable of accomplishing in the NFL.
The one thing standing between Young and successful rookie season is conditioning.
Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris pointed out this week (via The Athletic) that Young looks great when he's fresh, but when he's tired….well, he looks tired.
“When he was fresh and healthy and ready to go, he looked awesome,” said Morris earlier this week. “When he was tired, he looked tired.”
Young told The Athletic that he needs to improve this conditioning for the regular season. But that's a process that's to be expected for rookies.
While conditioning is the most important area where Young needs to improve, it's not the only area where he's working to get better. Young also noted that he's working on some new passing rushing moves.
From The Athletic: “In OTAs, I was kind of using the same moves,” Young said. “My coach (Joe Coniglio) challenged me over the break we had for a month. He said, ‘Byron, I want to challenge you to bring some more moves to the table. Don’t keep doing the same thing; change it up a little bit.’ … So since we’ve started camp, I’ve just tried new moves.”
Young has a chance to make a big impact as a rookie. Some players go their whole careers without getting the kind of opportunity that Young will get in 2023. And it's clear that he's committed to not wasting that opportunity.
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Featured image via Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
