Cameron Young, IDL Mississippi State: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Young was a three-star recruit from Franklin County High School in Meadville, Miss. in the class of 2018

Mississippi State defensive lineman Cameron Young is one of the latest players to accept an invite to the 2023 Reese's Senior Bowl. The redshirt senior should hear his name called on the third day of the 2023 NFL Draft.

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Cameron Young, IDL Mississippi State: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Redshirt senior nose tackle from Crosby, Miss.

Background: Young was a three-star recruit from Franklin County High School in Meadville, Miss. in the class of 2018. He was the No. 1,467 recruit according to 247Sports and No. 1,361 for On3.com. Young was an unranked two-star recruit for Rivals. He was an unranked recruit for ESPN with no grade or star rating. As a high school senior, Young totaled 51 tackles, including 43 solo, 11 sacks, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery. As a high school junior, he amassed 90 tackles, ten sacks, an interception, and a fumble recovery compared to 75 tackles, and two fumble recoveries as a sophomore. Young also lettered in basketball, averaging 12.4 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 3.1 blocks per game as a junior per MaxPreps. He was born on June 8, 2000 and has three siblings.

2021 Production: 12 games, 53 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 16 pressures, 1 interception, 2 passes defensed

2020 Production: 8 games, 15 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 5 pressures, 1 sack, 1 pass defensed

2019 Production: 8 games, 5 tackles, 1 tackle for loss

2018 Production: 1 game (Redshirt Year)

Injuries & Off-Field: Suffered a torn ACL in 2019

Awards: N/A

Pros: Cut down on missed tackles in 2022, special teams experience on the punt return, punt coverage, and field goal block units, plays a high percentage of snaps for an interior defensive lineman, one-armed bull rush, flashes of strong leg drive, some success displacing Alabama’s Darrian Dalcourt (2022) as a pass rusher, high effort player, generally maintains good leverage, power rush is effective when he gets his hands up early, combatant with his active hands, swim move, some instances of shooting the A gap, showed better ability to sustain against the run versus Kentucky (2022)

Cons: Age, penalized three times in 2021, lacks the mass to play nose tackle in the NFL, not explosive off the line, hands are late to engage, offensive linemen get into his pads, pocket pusher not pocket collapser, lacks pursuit speed, not twitchy or sudden, doesn’t generate any headway against double teams, no clear pass rush plan, sealed and washed out against the run versus Alabama (2022), no significant impact on stunts, hands lack power and pop to stun linemen, doesn’t get his arms up for PBUs, change of direction skills and agility, not quick to disengage and redirect

Overview: Young is unofficially listed at 6'3", 315 lbs. The redshirt senior frequently lines up as a 0-tech or 1-tech for the Bulldogs, but he’ll also take snaps as a 2-tech. Young lacks impressive pursuit speed, but he’ll still flow east to west to reach the football and join gang tackles. He displays impressive effort but often lacks the athleticism to finish plays. Young primarily relies on power to win as a pass rusher. He deploys a one-armed bull rush and flashes strong leg drive. The former three-star recruit generally maintains good leverage, and his power overwhelms linemen when he gets his hands up early. Young is a physical combatant with active hands. He occasionally uses a swim move and shoots the A gap, but these moments are spread out. Young is an older player who lacks the mass and strength to play nose tackle in the NFL. He’ll have to play a more typical defensive tackle role. Young lacks a consistently explosive first step, and his hands are late to engage, which allows offensive linemen to get into his pads and dictate the rep. Young’s hands are active, but they lack the power and pop to stun linemen. His athletic profile makes him largely ineffective on stunts. Young’s agility, change of direction skills, and ability to disengage from blockers and redirect his momentum are uninspiring. The Mississippi native is more of a pocket pusher than a pocket collapser and doesn’t display a clear pass rush plan. He lacks desired pursuit speed and isn’t a twitchy or sudden athlete. Young doesn’t generate any headway against double teams and is often displaced with ease when facing two linemen. He was sealed and washed out of the play several times by single and double blocks against Alabama. Young’s inconsistent ability to hold the point of attack limits his ceiling as an NFL prospect.

Overall, Young is a powerful, hard-working college nose tackle who will transition to defensive tackle at the next level because he lacks the mass and play strength to consistently anchor the point of attack. Young’s tweener playstyle doesn’t help his draft stock, but there are enough moments where he successfully blows up plays that he should be drafted.  

Role & Scheme Fit: Two-down 4-3 defensive tackle

Round Projection: Late Sixth to UDFA

Player Comparison: N/A

Submitted: 11-15-22