LA Rams LB competition heating up at training camp after all

Is Young finally getting a shot at defense?

The status of ILB Kenny Young seems to change daily. When the Rams acquired him in the trade that sent cornerback Marcus Peters to the Baltimore Ravens, the hope was that he would take the field beside ILB Cory Littleton. Instead, he never saw a single defensive snap. Rather, he was relegated to special teams only in 2019.

Prior to arriving at Los Angeles, the 6-foo1-1 234-pound inside linebacker was a rising star for the Baltimore Ravens. Chosen in the fourth round in the 2018 NFL Draft with the 122nd pick by the Ravens, Young was clearly being groomed for a starting role with the Ravens. He had a promising rookie season where he recorded 2.5 sacks, 51 tackles, and defended a pass. Quarterbacks only completed 65.2 percent of the passes thrown his way.  And he started three games that year.

Too Young to start again?

He did not have quite as much success in three starts for the Ravens the following season and was traded to the Rams. Despite the Rams injuries at the position, Young only saw action on special teams. By year’s end, that was quite confusing. However, there was 2020. With Littleton projected to leave via free agency, many guessed that the Rams were easing Young in to take over in 2020.

That projection took a deep plunge when early reports out of training camp indicated that Micah Kiser was the starter, and the other linebackers were far behind in terms of making plays. That group seems to have included Kenny Young. But don’t rule out Young too quickly. The Rams truly have so little to go on this season to help the decision-making process. Young has competed successfully in the NFL.  He can still win the job with a strong training camp.