Breaking down why Los Angeles Rams linebacker Byron Young is the cornerstone for the defense in 2026.
The Los Angeles Rams may not have gotten off to a strong start to begin the 2026 season, after losing to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 1, but the team rebounded in a big way against the New York Giants in Week 2.
Everything appeared to be far better, including the defense. And one player who has shown his skills through two weeks of action has been linebacker Byron Young.
There was a big expectation that the arrival of Myles Garrett would lead to more opportunities for Young to get after the quarterback, but that was halted when it was revealed that Garrett needed knee surgery.
Now, the Rams have Aaron Donald back, and his 2026 debut led to Young finally seeing those moments. With Donald being double- and triple-teamed by the Giants' offensive line, it opened the door for Young to get loose and get after quarterback Jaxson Dart.
Dart was unfortunately hurt after a Young tackle, but the pass rush for the Rams remained a tough aspect for the Giants to handle, even when Jameis Winston took over for the injured Dart.
A big reason for the change defensively can be attributed to Young, as the linebacker is already making waves.
According to the Rams PR page, Young ranks in the top 15 among pass rushers in multiple categories through two games on Pro Football Focus.
Young ranks No. 8 with a 78.0 defensive grade, No. 8 with a 71.4 run defense grade, and No. 15 with a 72.3 pass rush grade. These figures only count towards players who have had 70 snaps or more.
Most of the attention has been on Garrett and Donald, for obvious reasons, but many might forget that Young had a very strong 2025 season. He ended the season with 12 sacks and a third-best run-stop win rate of 32 percent.
Young showed his evolution from 2024 to 2025, and that was without the help of Garrett or Donald. To be fair, he did have Jared Verse in the defense playing that part.
Now, Donald drawing double or triple teams might lead Young to have another even bigger season.
The Rams defense has many players that have to be accounted for, and it includes cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson, defensive tackles Kobie Turner and Poona Ford, and many more.
As stated, Week 1 was not a true representation of what this Los Angeles defense is or can be, but they showed just that against the Giants.
The Rams have a tall task ahead, as they will face the Denver Broncos. The Broncos also possess one of the best defensive units in the NFL, so it will be interesting to see if both teams have to grind it out for a victory using their defensive prowess.
Either way, Young might be the cornerstone piece in defensive coordinator Chris Shula's schemes, even though the attention remains on Donald.
