Young has fought through multiple injuries during his college career. He suffered a dislocated and fractured hip in the team's 2015 bowl game, missing the 2016 season. Young returned for the 2017 season opener, however, starting 12 of 13 games played. He finished the year with 62 tackles, 12 for loss, 4.5 sacks, and five pass breakups. Young first held the starting role in 2015, earning honorable mention All-ACC honors (eight starts in 12 games played, 32 tackles, 10 for loss, 8.5 sacks, interception, two forced
fumbles). He played 11 games as a reserve in 2014 after transferring from Iowa Western Community College, where he was a second-team All-American in his lone season there (22 tackles for loss, 13.5 sacks). The Des Moines native was a star middle linebacker and four-year starter for the basketball team in high school.
Overview
Long-limbed and angular with physical traits but a lack of power at the point of attack, Young is still in the process of recovery after a devastating hip injury suffered in his bowl game in 2015. Young's tape near the end of the year was substantially better than early on and there is a chance he could round back into his old form, but Combine medicals will be essential in giving him that chance. A move from 4-3 end to a role as stand-up outside linebacker could benefit him.
Strengths
- Resilient with outstanding work ethic and mental toughness
- Uses long legs on lateral steps to work himself across a block
- Athletic ability to physically recover and make plays after being knocked off-balance
- Long strides help him cover a lot of territory in first three steps as rusher
- Terrific arm length
- Has tools to become a capable edge-setter as 3-4 outside backer
- Able to stab and convert speed-to-power in driving tackles backward into pocket
- Showed flashes of his old self in Florida State game that carried on through the end of the season
- Began to string rush moves together towards end of the season
- Had nine tackles, three for loss and a sack in his bowl game against Mississippi State
Weaknesses
- Major hip injury and the subsequent recovery will be heavily scrutinized at Combine medicals
- Appeared limited in his movements
- Didn't have quick hip flip he featured before
- Lacks functional mass and power in lower body to withstand drive blocking
- Frequently bounced around at point of attack
- A step slow in snap reaction time
- Hand strength poor
- Punch slides right up and off the target
- Doesn't get enough out of his length
- Spin counter is bulky right now
Sources Tell Us
"He did get better later on. He's still not who he was and I don't know if he can get there. Those medicals are going to be everything to him. If they don't look good then it won't matter if you thought he got better at the end of the year because he will be a reject." — NFC area scout
Lance Zierlein (NFL.COM)