Rams Sign Third-Rounders Kobie Turner, Byron Young To Wrap Draft Class Deals

Rookies comprise an eye-opening percentage of the Rams’ 90-man roster; the Rams drafted 14 players and signed 26 UDFAs. While many rookies will be cut as the team moves down to 53 before the season, the 2023 class will have a significant say in this retooling effort. Defensive lineman Kobie Turner and outside linebacker Byron Young will be two of the top first-year presences on the Rams.

The team reached agreements with both defenders Friday, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. The Rams selected Young at No. 77 and Turner at 89. Both players will be expected to play regular roles for a younger Los Angeles defense this season. These agreements conclude a lengthy rookie signing process for the Rams, who formed their largest draft class since 1992, when the draft was a 12-round event.

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Both of Aaron Donald‘s top two defensive line sidekicks — A’Shawn Robinson and Greg Gaines — left in free agency, with Robinson signing with the Giants and the Buccaneers adding Gaines. The team did not use free agency to bolster this position, instead drafting Turner in Round 3 and making Desjuan Johnson this year’s Mr. Irrelevant. The team also claimed Larrell Murchison off waivers from the Titans. But Turner has an opportunity to carve out a key role alongside one of the best players in NFL history as a rookie.

The Rams chose Turner after moving down 16 spots in Round 3, giving the Giants No. 73 overall — thus allowing Big Blue to select wide receiver Jalin Hyatt — in exchange for in exchange for 89 and 128. (Los Angeles chose quarterback Stetson Bennett at 128.) Turner, 24, transferred to Wake Forest from Richmond in 2022. While suiting up for the smaller school, the interior D-lineman earned first-team All-Colonial Athletic Association acclaim twice. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Turner played two seasons in 2021 — in the spring and fall — and both produced first-team all-conference honors. Turner earned CAA Co-Defensive Player of the Year honors during the shortened spring ’21 season.

Two Byron Youngs were chosen in Round 3; the Rams’ draftee played at Tennessee. Young tallied 12.5 sacks and 23.5 tackles for loss over his two years with the Volunteers. The JUCO transfer made a big impact in the SEC, earning first-team all-conference recognition for his 2022 work. While ESPN’s Scouts Inc. was less bullish on Turner (168th), the scouting service slotted Young as this year’s 76th-best prospect. (The Raiders chose the other Byron Young, an Alabama D-lineman, 70th overall.)

The Rams have lost Von Miller and Leonard Floyd in consecutive offseasons. While they tried to re-sign Miller, Floyd became a cap casualty. Similar to how they proceeded at other defensive positions that lost talent, the Rams did not operate aggressively in free agency to fill their OLB posts. As such, Young, 25, looms as a potential starter.

Here is the Rams’ mammoth 2023 draft class:

• Round 2, No. 36: Steve Avila, G (TCU) (signed)
• Round 3, No. 77 (from Dolphins through Patriots): Byron Young, OLB (Tennessee) (signed)
• Round 3, No. 89 (from Giants): Kobie Turner, DT (Wake Forest) (signed)
• Round 4, No. 128 (from Rams): Stetson Bennett, QB (Georgia) (signed)
• Round 5, No. 161 (from Cowboys through Texans): Nick Hampton, LB (Appalachian State) (signed)
• Round 5, No. 174 (from Raiders through Texans): Warren McClendon, OT (Georgia) (signed)
• Round 5, No. 175 (from Buccaneers): Davis Allen, TE (Clemson) (signed)
• Round 5, No. 177: Puka Nacua, WR (BYU) (signed)
• Round 6, No. 182: Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson, CB (TCU) (signed)
• Round 6, No. 189 (from Titans): Ochaun Mathis, OLB (Nebraska) (signed)
• Round 6, No. 215 (from Commanders through Bills): Zach Evans, RB (Ole Miss) (signed)
• Round 7, No. 223: Ethan Evans, P (Wingate) (signed)
• Round 7, No. 234 (from Steelers): Jason Taylor II, S (Oklahoma State) (signed)
• Round 7, No. 259 (from Texans): Desjuan Johnson, DL (Toledo) (signed)