It took an injury to Myles Garrett, but Byron Young is finally getting the praise he’s always deserved as a pass rusher for the Los Angeles Rams. Since Week 2, with Garrett sidelined, Young has been absolutely lights-out, putting together his best season yet. We’re talking 2.5 sacks against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 3 alone, which shot him right up among the league leaders. This dude has been balling, and it’s about time people stopped looking away. Is he just gonna get even better once Garrett comes back from injured reserve? We’ve gotta hope so.
Always in Someone’s Shadow, Never Fully Seen
Young has literally always been overshadowed, it’s wild. He got drafted in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft and had a pretty clear path to playing time for a mid-round pick, jumping right in with Aaron Donald for Donald’s final season. And yeah, Young played well as a rookie, but what did everyone say? “Oh, that’s just because opposing offenses were so focused on Donald.” Classic. Then Donald retired, right? So the Rams immediately went out and drafted Jared Verse, basically to fill that franchise star void. Young went from one gigantic shadow straight into another. And if that wasn’t enough, this past offseason, the Rams swapped Verse for Myles Garrett. Garrett, the best defensive player in football, puts literally *everyone* else in his shadow, except maybe MVP quarterback Matthew Stafford. But Garrett hasn’t even played a healthy game in Los Angeles yet, which is why Young is finally getting his moment. He’s quietly putting up the best season of his career, and it’s time to shout about it. This guy is an elite EDGE rusher in 2026, no doubt.
The Numbers Don’t Lie: Young Is a Problem
Look, Pro Football Focus, PFF, they know what’s up. According to their metrics, Young ranks sixth among all EDGE defenders in total pressures, with a mind-blowing 21. He’s already notched four sacks in just four games. And who’s ahead of him? The usual suspects, the absolute top-tier guys: Aidan Hutchinson, Greg Rousseau, Dallas Turner, Maxx Crosby, Will Anderson. That’s some serious company to keep. But here’s the kicker: Young made that top six with *24 fewer rushes* than the next-lowest player on that list. He’s got a massive 79 fewer rushes than pressure leader Aidan Hutchinson. Think about that for a second. This isn’t just good; it’s incredibly efficient.
And if you wanna talk efficiency, PFF has him creating pressures at the third-highest rate among EDGE rushers with at least 91 reps. We’re talking Dallas Turner, Greg Rousseau, then Byron Young at 20.4%. Maxx Crosby and Will Anderson are right there too, but Young is ahead. He’s also third in PFF’s pass rush productivity metric, which measures how often rushers pressure, hurry, sack, or hit quarterbacks relative to their opportunities. Again, only Turner and Rousseau are ahead. And he’s doing all this after a slow start, too! He only had two pressures in the season opener against the 49ers. Since then? Five pressures against the Giants, then *seven* against both the Broncos and the Eagles. The sacks, they’ve been coming in bunches. This dude is on a tear.
What happens now? We just gotta watch Young keep this insane trajectory. He’s proven he can do it, even without the spotlight. With numbers like these, he’s not just getting credit anymore, he’s demanding attention.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Turf Show Times.
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