After amazing rookie seasons, this Rams trio prepares for a sophomore surge

The Big Bang Theory of Byron Young's Year 2

Okay, so Byron Young proved may NFL teams wrong when he went out in 2023 and played nearly every defensive snap for the defense. perhaps more impressive is the fact that Young's rookie season was outstanding for a rookie. He not only put up 8.0 quarterback sacks, tops among all rookie edge rushers, but he also put up 61 tackles too. Not satisfied there, he added eight tackles for a loss, 19 quarterback hits, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery. He even put up 30 quarterback pressures.

Those are the types of college numbers that elevate a prospect to Day 1 consideration. The thing is, he did all of this as a 'raw and old' rookie in the NFL. While many hoped for the Rams to revisit an attempt to add Panther's veteran OLB Brian Burns, Byron Young outperformed Brian Burns in nearly every statistical category in 2023.

So while it is true that Bryan Young is as old as Brian Burns, he proved to be every bit as effective as Burns when it counted. And he undeniably matched Burns performance at just 6.25 percent of Burns salary in 2023.

Best of all, let's review the fact that Byron Young was viewed by many scouts as raw. I won't deny that he was still figuring out his role throughout 2023.x

Now, here is the best part of Byron Young's performance in 2024. He is not longer consider too old, too raw, or too much of a risk to play the position on an NFL defense. Actually, he has flipped the switch on every reason to discourage teams' views of his upside. Age? He proved to be as productive as highly regarded NFL veterans of the same age. Raw? He was incredibly productive in his rookie season while still figuring out the NFL, his role, and his capabilities.

Now imagine the Big Bang in statistics when he suits up to play in 2024? He has all of the athleticism, maturity, productivity, and passion of his rookie season. But this year, he has a far greater understanding of how to optimize his talents to maximize his impact on opposing offenses.

10.0 quarterback sacks and 70 tackles seem like low estimated projections for the second year edge rusher. Could he top Leonard Miller's 55 tackles and 10.5 quarterback sacks in 2024? Could he top Dante Fowler's 58 tackles and 11. 5 quarterback sacks in 2024? I think he could best both players' best numbers in 2024.

Now let's consider the guy who got ripped off in 2023: