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Tennessee's Byron Young posts blazing 40 time, insane numbers at NFL Combine

IMG_3593by:Grant Ramey•03/03/23•

GrantRamey

Byron Young
Tennessee football's Byron Young runs a 4.38-second 40 at the NFL Combine (NFL)

Byron Young’s draft stock kept climbing as his 40-yard dash time kept dropping Thursday afternoon at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. First the former Tennessee standout edge rusher was clocked at 4.51 seconds. Then it was 4.48 on the second attempt. Then the official time came in — 4.43. 

Young clocked the time after measuring in at 6-foot-2, 250 pounds. He had 32.5-inch arms, an 11-foot broad jump and a 38-inch vertical.

The 4.43-second official time in the 40 was the same time that Minnesota Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson ran at the combine. It was faster than receivers Ceedee Lamb (4.51), Tee Higgins (4.59) and Cooper Kupp (4.62) at previous combines, too.

“I try hold myself to that standard of being speedy and powerful,” Young told reporters on Wednesday. “Every rep I try to get off the ball really fast, work off that. I try to work off of power, too.”

ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. had Young as the No. 20 overall pick in the first round to the Seattle Seahawks back in January.

To put Young’s numbers in context, his broad jump was in the 98th percentile, his 40 was in the 97th percentile and his vertical was in the 90th percentile. Young’s 40 was the fourth fastest by a defensive lineman since 2003. The only other defensive lineman to run faster than Young Thursday was Georgia’s Nolan Smith at 4.38 seconds.

During his two-year career at Tennessee, Young recorded 83 total tackles — 42 solo, 41 assisted — with 23.5 tackles for loss and 12.5 sacks.

“When I look back, just being there for two years, everything in my past, I learned a lot,” Young said on Wednesday. “I feel like I developed really well as a player. But definitely Coach (Rodney) Garner helped me along the way. He threw me into the fire and he trusted me to be a captain on the team and a leader. Definitely Coach Garner taught me everything.”

Young ended his career with the Vols on a high note, recording three tackles, including 2.0 sacks, in the 31-14 win over Clemson in the Capital One Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.

Byron Young’s breakout junior season: 46 tackles, 11.5 TFLs, 5.5 sacks

He had a breakout junior season in 2021, with 46 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks and an interception in 10 games. He had 34 tackles, 10.0 tackles for loss and 5.0 sacks in 12 games this season.

Tennessee signed Young out of Georgia Military College in December 2020. He attended Carvers Bay High School in Hemingway, S.C., and was working at a Dollar General Store when he saw a flyer to try out for the football team at Georgia Military College.

There he became a three-star junior-college prospect, ranked No. 9 overall in the On3 Consensus junior college ratings. He was the No. 1 edge rusher in the class and the No. 1 junior-college prospect out of Georgia. 

Young earned First Team All-SEC honors from both the league coaches and the Associated Press this season. He also earned an 2023 Reese’s Senior Bowl and 20243 East-West Shrine Game invites.

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