Byron Young

Career StatsB-

Year	Team	GP	Tkl	Sacks	INT
Career		51	205	27.5	—
2025		17	82	12.0	0
2024		17	62	7.5	0
2023		17

Season	Team	GP	Tkl	Sacks	INT	PD	Grade
2025		17	82	12.0	0	—	C C Around average
2024		17	62	7.5	0	—	D+ D+ Bottom 30%
2023		17	61	8.0	0	—	D D Bottom 20%

Grades reflect the player's performance in each season. Header grade shows the current season.

Current Contract

Contract Value Index (CVI)

Above-replacement production at the LB salary tier earns Byron Young a B+ Contract Value Index. Young's 2025 season of 82 tackles and 12 sacks across 17 games demonstrates the kind of consistent rotational production that justifies a four-year, $1.42M AAV rookie deal—he's delivering tangible pass-rush utility rather than depth-filler counting stats. At 28 years old in his third NFL season, Young occupies an economical salary slot typically reserved for mid-tier contributors, and his B- performance grade reflects solid execution within that expected range rather than elite upside. The Eagles' recent moves along the defensive line—releasing Za'Darius Smith and Isiah King while adding reinforcements—position Young as a more central piece in the pass-rush rotation heading into 2026, a role upgrade that amplifies the value of his current contract. The media narrative frames him as a quietly ascending contributor whose resilience following personal tragedy has earned genuine respect within the organization and fanbase, suggesting the Eagles view him as more than a depth-chart placeholder. At roughly $1.4M annually, Young's deal provides legitimate rotational production without cap strain, a hallmark of smart roster construction that avoids the overpayment traps that plague middle-tier defensive line markets—this is contract efficiency in action.

Contracts in the Same Value Band

Other same-position deals the Contract Value Index also places in the B band — a quick read on where Byron's contract sits relative to comparable money.

Performance Analysis

Byron Young is a third-year linebacker for the Philadelphia Eagles, carving out a reliable role as a pass-rush specialist and run-stopper in their defensive scheme. Earning a B- grade this season, Young represents a meaningful step forward from back-to-back C grades in 2023 and 2024. At just 28, he profiles as a late-developing talent still ascending toward his ceiling. Young's most striking attribute is his pass-rush production — his 0.71 sacks per game obliterates the NFL average of 0.15 and surpasses even the elite threshold of 0.51, drawing favorable comparisons to disruptive edge-setters like Uchenna Nwosu. His 4.82 tackles per game nearly doubles the league average of 2.19, signaling genuine impact as a run defender. The concern lies in his tackles-for-loss rate of 0.32 per game, sitting only at the NFL average of 0.27 — suggesting he reaches ball-carriers but struggles to consistently disrupt behind the line. Young is trending in the right direction, and if his sack production holds while his TFL numbers climb toward the elite threshold of 0.75, he has a legitimate shot at a Pro Bowl conversation within two seasons. Philadelphia's defensive infrastructure gives him an ideal environment to refine his game. Watch for whether offensive coordinators begin scheming specifically to neutralize his pass-rush presence — that will be the true measure of his arrival as a difference-maker.

How Byron Compares at the Position

Byron Young ranks 81st of 338 graded linebackers by performance. That slots Byron between Nakobe Dean (B-) just ahead and Jason Pierre-paul (B-) just behind.

Current Sentiment

The media tone on Byron Young pencils out to a C+ sentiment grade after weighing recent storylines. Young enters 2026 positioned as a quietly ascending pass-rusher whose narrative extends well beyond traditional NFL discourse—his resilience following his father Kenny Young's sudden passing in March has resonated deeply with Philadelphia's fanbase and earned genuine empathy from media coverage, transforming him from roster depth into an emotionally compelling story. His 2025 season output of 82 tackles and 12 sacks across 17 games demonstrates the kind of consistent rotational production that catches coaching staff attention without commanding mainstream spotlight, a dynamic that tends to build goodwill among those tracking the Eagles closely. Recent Philadelphia roster moves—including the releases of Za'Darius Smith and Isiah King on the defensive side—position Young as a more central piece in the lineage of the defensive line room, and local media has consistently highlighted the brotherhood within that unit as a competitive advantage. The convergence of expanding opportunity, solid on-field production, and a compelling personal story has tilted public perception upward, though Young remains below household-name status; the narrative arc suggests 2026 could represent a legitimate breakout platform rather than a settled depth role.