Byron Young overwhelms Terence Steele in joint practice
Byron Young made the kind of noise coaches and opponents notice during joint practice in Woodland Hills when he repeatedly beat Cowboys right tackle Terence Steele in one-on-one and team periods.
The Athletic’s Nate Atkins provided play-by-play detail of Young’s mix of speed and power, while the practice included moments that forced Dak Prescott out of the pocket and showcased Los Angeles’ pressure rotation as reported by Heavy – Los Angeles Rams
Key Takeaways
- Byron Young repeatedly beat Terence Steele during Woodland Hills reps using both speed and power moves.
- The Rams credited Young with consistent pressure and noted a two-play stretch that forced Dak Prescott to scramble out of bounds.
- Myles Garrett sat out the joint practice with knee swelling, and head coach Sean McVay said the decision was a precaution and “nothing to be concerned about.”
- Los Angeles displayed rotation depth with Young, Josaiah Stewart, Braden Fiske, Kobie Turner and Poona Ford all drawing positive notes in team periods.
Byron Young’s winning techniques against Terence Steele
Nate Atkins of The Athletic described Young alternating around-the-edge speed with a direct, power-driven hand game that repeatedly backed Steele into the pocket.
Young cleared the edge quickly on a speed rep and used a power rush on another snap to drive the tackle backward, creating interior pressure and disrupting protection timing.
Rams pass rush depth without Myles Garrett
Myles Garrett did not participate because of knee swelling and the Rams framed the absence as a precaution with McVay minimizing concern.
Even without Garrett, Los Angeles generated regular pressure in team periods and used rotation to keep multiple rushers involved during live reps.
The practice highlighted Young alongside Josaiah Stewart, Braden Fiske, Kobie Turner and Poona Ford as contributors to that push.
Practice production and career context
| Aspect | Byron Young | Terence Steele |
|---|---|---|
| Recent production | Returned to practice after a breakout season and was credited by the Rams with high pressure and stop totals among edge rushers | Established veteran tackle whose camp profile is that of one of Dallas’ most experienced blockers |
| Practice impact | Repeatedly created pocket disruption in one-on-one and team periods during the Woodland Hills session | Struggled to consistently handle Young’s varied rushes during the joint practice |
| Role projection | Primary edge presence when matchups favor his burst or power and poised to take advantage of individual matchups | Projected as a veteran starter expected to anchor protections but required to adjust to younger, more explosive defenders |
How the practice showing informs matchup planning
From a schematic standpoint, Young’s reps against Steele provide concrete film the Rams can use to identify when to push favorable edge matchups during game planning.
Young’s ability to threaten both edges and flip to the opposite side on snaps forces opponents to choose between overprotecting the edge or surrendering interior lanes and angles on counters.
The live session reinforced the advantage of rotation and of keeping multiple rushers fresh when Garrett returns.
Roster construction around the Rams pass rush
Young’s practice performance strengthens the Rams’ short-term roster construction because it validates a credible secondary pass-rush option when Garrett is managed or unavailable.
Positive evaluation of depth names like Josaiah Stewart, Braden Fiske, Kobie Turner and Poona Ford reduces single-player dependency and provides the front office clearer leverage when prioritizing edge snaps and situational packages.
That flexibility allows Los Angeles to deploy situational packages around Young’s speed-power combination to force quicker quarterback decisions or create matchup advantages.
SEC implications for roster construction and development
Roster construction principles shown here—valuing rotational depth and matchup-specific deployment—are directly relevant to programs that manage positional turnover and recruiting cycles.
SEC staffs that prioritize depth and versatile defenders can use similar evaluation frameworks when projecting how college edge talent will translate to pressure creation against pro-style protections.
This report references play descriptions from Nate Atkins of The Athletic and contract-context reporting summarized from NBC Sports for broader production and role context.
