Top 10 Alabama Football players in 2023 NFL Draft: no. 5

Alabama Football graduates a large group of seniors from its 2022 defense, and most of those players will go on to play at the next level. One of the best players in this senior class was defensive lineman Byron Young, who was the most effective member of Bama’s defensive front last season.

Byron Young was a 4-star recruit in the class of 2019, and a top-10 defensive tackle in the country. He would go on to contribute for the Crimson Tide for four straight years, proving to be both consistent and durable.

As a freshman in 2019, he started five games en route to making 23 tackles and one sack. As a member of Bama’s 2020 national championship team, he recorded 29 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, and a sack. In 2021, he started seven games and took his play up a notch. He made 39 stops, including 9.0 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks in junior campaign.

Heading into his senior year in 2022, Byron Young was primed for a breakout season. He was among the most experienced returning players on the Alabama Football team, and figured to be a leader on the defensive line.

Young did not disappoint, starting all 13 games and turning in a first team All-SEC season. He finished the year with 48 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, and a career-high 4.0 sacks. Young was one of the most reliably disruptive players on the entire Bama defense in 2022.

Young entered the NFL Draft following the season, and has largely received mid-round draft grades. He is not particularly big or athletic for an interior defensive lineman, and generally has not displayed any separating factors at the NFL level.

Still, he is a very solid and functional defensive lineman that could potentially be transformed into a tackle or a 5-tech defensive end dependent upon scheme. Young appears to be a hard worker, and I expect him to stick in the league for a long time.

Good luck to Alabama Football 2023 NFL Draft entrant Byron Young!