Christian Young 2023 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Background: 

• Earned letters in football, basketball, and track & field

• Consensus three-star recruit 

• Father played basketball at Texas Pan-American and Houston Baptist
• Recruited to run track by Texas State

System: 

• Scheme tendencies: 4-2-5
• 2022 projected role: Starting safety 

Pros: Christian Young is a coachable and versatile defender. Whatever the team needs, he does. He predominately aligns as a box defender or the “Viper” LB/S role. Young is asked to do it all: blitz the quarterback, play the traditional split safety alignment, and drop into coverage to disrupt the passing game. He’s an instinctive and active run defender that has no issues playing close to the line of scrimmage. For a smaller box defender, he takes on blocks well at the point of attack. He squeezes space on the edge in the run game with play strength and long arms. He’s been tasked with aligning with opposing offenses’ tight ends, even split out in man coverage.

Cons: Christian Young’s rotational transitions are not as fluid or crisp as I would prefer. He has segmented transitions from a high backpedal into click and close. Some of his movements seem restricted by hip tightness. Based on the tape from last season, he can be labeled as a tweener/hybrid. He saw limited snap share aligned at free or high safety. As a result, this raises questions about his defined position and complicates his projection to the NFL. Young has a track background, but play speed is questionable to carry routes vertically in man coverage. He is aggressive and grabby using bump-and-run technique. This can make him susceptible to flags at the next level.

Christian Young NFL Draft Scouting Report by Damian Parson