The NFL dropped another name on its player-voted Top 100 list, and this one lands squarely with Rams fans who watched the transformation up close. Byron Young, the outside linebacker out of Tennessee, checked in at No. 84 on the 2026 edition. It marks his first appearance on the annual countdown.
Young’s peers across the league saw the tape from 2025 and made their voices heard. The third-year pro posted career highs in sacks and overall production, turning heads in a way that forced offensive coordinators to game-plan around him every week.
The 2025 Numbers That Forced the Conversation
Young played all 17 games and started the majority of them. He finished with 12 sacks, 82 total tackles, and 29 quarterback hits. Those figures led the Rams’ front and put him in rare company among edge players league-wide. He also forced a fumble and earned his first Pro Bowl selection.
The jump from prior seasons was clear on film. The burst off the edge sharpened. The hand usage and counters improved. Most importantly, he stayed on the field and delivered that same intensity from Week 1 through the postseason push. Peers notice when a player shows up like that every Sunday.
From Third-Round Pick to Recognized Force
Young arrived in Los Angeles as a third-round selection in the 2023 draft. He spent his first two seasons learning the finer points of NFL offensive lines and building the strength to hold up against the run while developing his rush package. The patience paid off in year three.
That path — junior college to Tennessee to late-round NFL pick — adds weight to the moment. This isn’t a highly touted prospect who arrived with expectations already sky-high. This is a player who grinded, refined his technique, and forced the league to pay attention through production rather than pedigree.
What the Ranking Actually Signals
No. 84 on a list voted on by active players carries real weight. It reflects how opponents and teammates across the NFL view Young’s impact, not just media narratives or highlight reels. The Rams’ defensive front gained a legitimate disruptor who can collapse pockets and set the tone in the run game.
No. 84 on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2026…@RamsNFL LB Byron Young! @NFLFilms pic.twitter.com/zVXYm10kpX
— NFL (@NFL) July 2, 2026
The recognition arrives at an interesting time for the Rams’ defense. Young’s emergence gives the unit another young cornerstone alongside established pieces. His ability to draw extra attention from offensive linemen creates opportunities for the rest of the front to feast. That two-way presence — pass rush plus run support — is exactly what separates good edge players from the ones who climb these lists.
The Human Side of the Rise
Ask anyone who has covered the Rams the last couple of years and they’ll tell you the same thing: Young carried himself like a veteran long before the stats caught up. He stayed in the building, studied extra, and kept the same motor whether the team was riding high or fighting through injuries.
Rams fans at SoFi Stadium felt it on game days. The energy shifted when Young beat his blocker or sniffed out a screen. That home-field recognition now extends to locker rooms around the league. The votes don’t come from highlight packages alone — they come from the respect earned in the trenches week after week.
Looking Ahead to 2026
Young enters the upcoming season with momentum and a new level of external validation. The Rams’ defensive front has another weapon who opponents must account for on every down. At this stage of his career, the ceiling remains high. The motor and the work ethic that got him here suggest the best football is still ahead.
The NFL Films crew captured some of that journey in a feature tied to the Top 100 countdown. Fans got a closer look at the player behind the production — the same guy who quietly put together one of the more impressive third-year leaps in recent Rams history.