Saints rookie QB has Byron Young and Rams pass rush licking their chops

When the Los Angeles Rams selected Tennessee Volunteers rookie outside linebacker Byron Young in the 2023 NFL Draft with the 77th overall pick, not many bells and whistles sounded off to applaud the selection. But everyone is applauding Young now, as he has racked up 9.0 quarterback sacks in just seven games.

Now he has a chance to take aim at New Orleans Saints rookie quarterback Tyler Shough, who is making his first NFL start of his rookie season. That could be terrible news for the young quarterback. You see, he runs a 4.63-second 40-yard dash. LA's edge rusher, Byron Young, runs that distance in 4.44 seconds.

Advantage: Byron Young.

You may ponder over the fact that an NFL edge rusher who dominates at sacking quarterbacks cannot possibly defend the run well. If that's true, then Young is the exception to the rule. He is just as effective at stuffing the run this year as well. That's proven to be a huge reason why the team is successful this season.

It's hard not to notice how much Byron Young has improved in Year 3

Not only has Young set a new high-water mark for 9.0 quarterback sacks in a season in just seven games, but he nearly has more quarterback hits (17) than ever before, is close to setting a new career high for tackles for a loss (nine), and is on pace to end the season at 95 tackles, another career high

How does that impress his defensive coordinator, Chris Shula?

When a coach asserts that he cannot find bad snaps or (video) tape on a player, that is high praise indeed. And that is only after seven games. Now that the team is emerging from its Week 8 BYE, the push to the NFL playoffs is on.

And the first team to stand in the way is the New Orleans Saints. Like it or not, rookie quarterback Tyler Shough did not luck out by getting his first NFL start against a defense with postseason competition on its mind. LA knows that every game counts, and the recent history of the team after the BYE spells trouble with a capital T for Shough and company.

Young is not the only guy hunting quarterbacks in SoFi Stadium in Week 9. His teammate, Jared Verse, will be in hot pursuit as well. In fact, Los Angeles has been getting after the quarterback quite frequently this season, but the team has yet to witness other defensive stars like Braden Fiske, Kobie Turner, and even Poona Ford have breakout games.

Is this the week that this dominating pass rush ignites and brings down a quarterback more than five times, as it did twice in last year's playoffs? Time will tell.

Perhaps it's better to cheer for a defense that only allows 10 points over two games than the fantasy football highlights of focusing on quarterback sacks. Still, Young is among the NFL leaders with 9.0 quarterback sacks with just seven games under his belt.

Is there more to Young's season? You bet there is. He is only getting started. In just 2.4 NFL seasons, he has racked up 24.5 quarterback sacks. That's a clear indication that he always could get after the quarterback. He's just showing how much better that ceiling is this season.

As always, thanks for reading.