Unpacking Future Packers: No. 36, Alabama DL Byron Young

Up next in the Unpacking Future Packers draft preview series is Alabama defensive lineman Byron Young.

The Unpacking Future Packers Countdown is a countdown of 100 prospects that could be selected by the Green Bay Packers in the 2023 NFL draft.

Jarran Reed and Dean Lowry have signed new contracts with NFC North teams this offseason. That leaves the Green Bay Packers thin up front with Kenny Clark, Devonte Wyatt, and TJ Slaton. 

With more playing time Wyatt is a candidate to enjoy a breakout season during his second year in the league. Even if Wyatt makes a second-year jump, the Packers need to add more talent up front. 

A player that Brian Gutekunst could target in the 2023 NFL Draft is Byron Young. The Alabama defensive lineman checks in at No. 36 in the Unpacking Future Packers countdown. 

Young was a four-year contributor for Alabama. During his first year on campus, Young recorded 1.5 tackles for loss and one sack. He followed that up with 5.5 tackles for loss during his sophomore season. In 2021, Young recorded 7.5 tackles for loss and two sacks. This past season Young recorded a career-high 48 tackles to go along with 5.5 tackles for loss and four sacks. 

“He was pressed into a starting role too early as a freshman and had some bad moments his first two years,” Brent Taylor, the editor for Roll Bama Roll said. “By 2021, we started seeing more consistency and better flashes from him in big moments. In 2022, we saw more good plays, fewer mistakes, and an overall leadership and fiery presence from Young.”

Young’s a well-put-together defensive tackle. At 6-3, 294 pounds, with long arms, Young has an NFL-ready frame. That length is arguably his greatest strength. He has adequate initial quickness to get upfield to disrupt the action. 

“His greatest strength is a very underrated first-step speed.,” Taylor said. “Young can really jump snaps and just blow by centers and guards to wreck a play. He’s got a great feel for shooting in between gaps without getting touched and rarely misses the tackle.”

Young uses his long limbs to his advantage. He doesn’t let blockers get into his frame and shows good balance through contact to stay off the ground. He has good backfield vision and his long arms give him a huge tackle radius. He shows good movement skills to be able to make tackles outside the box. 

“While he can definitely get some great tackles for loss by, again, jumping snaps and shooting into the backfield, a lot of times that comes at the expense of gap integrity and he’s prone to guessing wrong,” Taylor said. “That’s improved and happened less often each and every season, but he’s still not going to be a guy who takes on double teams, sheds blocks, and just shuts things down.”

With his initial quickness and long levers, Young can collapse the pocket when he plays with proper leverage. This past season he seemed to play with more power and violence. He showcased budding pass-rushing skills this past season with a career-high 28 pressures. 

“Alabama’s not done a great job of using defensive linemen in the pass rush,” Taylor said. “So his numbers are depressed, but I think he has a good shot to make a real name for himself in the NFL as a rotational guy who can make some nice plays as an interior pass-rush chaos creator.”

Fit with the Packers

Clark is a dominant force up front for the Packers. With more snaps, Wyatt could develop into a solid sidekick for Clark. Those two aren’t enough and the Packers need to add pieces to build a dominant front.

Not everyone’s going to be as powerful as Clark or as twitchy as Wyatt. Young is a glue guy-type prospect. Add him on day three and the Packers would have a player with a ton of snaps under his belt that could step in from day one and be a quality rotational piece up front for Joe Barry. 

“The NFL values the guy that throws the ball, the guy that catches the ball, the guy who keeps the first guy upright, the guy that stops the guy from catching it, and the guy that keeps the first guy from throwing it,” Taylor said. “Byron Young is the latter, and therefore he is a valuable skill set in the NFL. I think he’s one of those guys whose production was a bit limited by the scheme in college and will be a better fit in the NFL and can really make a nice career for himself as an interior pass rush specialist on a defense that doesn’t need to 2-gap in the run game. So I think he could go as high as the second round and would be an absolute steal if he drops to day three.”

Young improved each season during his time at Alabama. He capped his four-year career off with a season in which he posted career highs in tackles, sacks, and pressures. That growth and development will likely continue at the next level. As the Packers look to add pieces up front, Young could be an attractive day three target for Gutekunst.

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