Byron Young has squarely put himself in DPOY conversation after 7 weeks

In 2023, the Los Angeles Rams featured rookie nose tackle Kobie Turner as the defense's breakout star. In 2024, the same defense featured rookie outside linebacker Jared Verse as the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Year.

In 2025, one defensive player is standing up and claiming his spot in the Defensive Player of the Year conversation. Byron Young is on fire, and nobody in the NFL is denying it.

Los Angeles is certainly not lacking talent on the defensive side of the football. In addition to the names listed above, LA boasts defensive end Braden Fiske, nose tackle Poona Ford, defensive end Larrell Murchison, rookie outside linebacker Josaiah Stewart, and defensive tackle Tyler Davis, who are all impact players on the defensive front.

But the former Tennessee Volunteer is the best of the best this season.

Nine sacks in just seven games is spectacular, and Young is currently tied for the NFL lead alongside New York Giants edge Brian Burns. And for many players, that total would be a great season's worth of work.

Don't tell the former Dollar General manager that, though, as he is just getting started.

After all, this is going down exactly as he promised before the season began.

Byron Young's breakout year is no accident

We discuss how some players find the right fit in certain schemes, and that is the case this year for Young. With a smothering run defense and a pesky secondary, the only thing this edge rusher needs to worry about is what happens in front of him. And with his blazing 4.43-second 40-time speed, he can run down almost any player in the NFL.

This defense fits Young. He has a friendly competition going with Verse, and so far, it's the former Volunteer who is leading the former Seminole in sack totals. Neither would be the same player without the other.

Eleven players on the defense have at least one sack after seven games. After a 2024 season of just 38 sacks for the entire roster, Los Angeles has already recorded 26 quarterback sacks in just seven games.

At this pace, the unit will have racked up 63 quarterback sacks at year's end, and Young could have 18-plus at said pace.

Can Young keep up this pace? Can he stay healthy over 17 games? At 5-2, Los Angeles has certainly benefited from his stellar season.

But if this team hopes for continued success, he will need to continue to terrorize quarterbacks.

As always, thanks for reading.