Landon Young gets emphatic endorsement from NFL Draft analyst

Photo by Mark Cornelison

Former Wildcat captain and First-Team All-SEC lineman Landon Young joined Jimmy Williams, an NFL Draft analyst for Draft Diamonds, for an exclusive interview ahead of the big event later this month.

Young covers a lot of ground, discussing everything from a wrestling state title he earned his senior year of high school to overcoming the torn meniscus he suffered his junior season at UK.

Other topics the two talk about are Young’s relationship with coach John Schlarman, his charitable efforts and favorite hobbies, as well as the reason he loves football. It’s a great glimpse into one of the grittiest and most well-respected offensive linemen to grace the Mark Stoops era, and Williams was so impressed by Young he tweeted this emphatic endorsement following the interview:

I just got finished interviewing @UKFootball OT Landon Young, and all I have to say is that the team that drafts him will be getting an incredible athlete, team leader, and a man of excellent character that can represent your franchise well and give back to the community.

— Draft Guy Jimmy (@draftguyjimmy) April 15, 2021

As for where Young’s draft prospects stand, it looks like he will be a Day 3 pick.

Lance Zierlien of NFL.com has a 6th round grade on Young, providing the following overview of his game:

“Will likely be viewed as a right tackle or could be kicked inside to guard. Young possesses NFL size and strength but his athleticism is average. He plays with good toughness and can handle physical battles that are in front of him, but his waist-bending and inconsistent base tend to create imbalance through contact. He needs to create better block positioning after contact to open running lanes and keep them open. The pass protection fundamentals are good enough, but he will need help against faster, more athletic rushers if teams plan to keep him at tackle.”

Having that 6’6″, 310-pound frame is huge, and it’s very possible Young proved he possesses a little more athleticism than he’s been given credit for after clocking a 4.91 40-yard dash at UK’s pro day last month.

Landon Young's 4.91 40 would have been the FASTEST by a tackle at the 2019 combine and the 4th fastest from last year's combine. @UKFootball #BBN

— Anna Maria Tarullo (@tarullotweets) March 31, 2021

The NFL Mock Draft Database shows that Young has been consistently mocked in the 6th-7th round range, but as they say, it is the NFL Draft. Things have been weird during this cycle, much like they were last year without an official combine. Because of that, it’s harder for analysts to get a true grasp on where the Day 2 and Day 3 guys will wind up. Some slip through the cracks, some go a round or two earlier than expected. It seems Young could be on either one of those spectrums in a couple of weeks.

The last two rounds of the draft usually consist of players with raw athleticism that have high upside or players who suffered major injuries and have lower ceilings. I’m no GM, but if it gets to that point of the draft and a former captain and All-SEC player is sitting there, I don’t see how you couldn’t run to the podium to make him a member of your team, torn meniscus and all. Even if Young isn’t a day one starter, it certainly seems he possesses the attitude and mentality to come in, learn, compete, and provide valuable depth.

Mark Stoops vouches for that. BBN vouches for that. And now, finally, Young has an NFL analyst to vouch for that, too.