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Photo of Eric Young
Grade
?
  • 6'4" Height
  • 308LBS. Weight

Overview

One of the most dominant position blockers in college football, Eric Young's senior season come to an early end when he suffered a torn quadriceps muscle in his left leg vs. South Carolina, missing the last six games the Volunteers played in 2007.

With Young on the sideline, the team's ground attack averaged 130.43 yards rushing, compared to 147.6 yards with the talented left offensive tackle in the lineup. He would close out his career logging 23 starting assignments in 33 contests.

At Union High School, Young earned All-American honors from Parade, Super Prep and CNNSI.com/TheInsiders.com. He was rated the nation's sixth-best offensive line prospect by Super Prep and named All-South first-team by CNNSI.com/BorderWars.com. He was chosen a first-team offense member on the Fox Sports Net All-South Team and ranked as the nation's third-best offensive line prospect by TheInsiders.com.

The two-time All-State choice also garnered All-Region, All-Area and MVP Lineman honors as a junior. He also started at left offensive tackle in the 2002 Shrine Bowl at offensive tackle. He registered 33 knockdown blocks as a senior and had 183 during his three-year career. He played in three state championship games, winning two and compiling a 40-5 record in the Class AAA ranks during that span. He also lettered in track, winning the state shot put competition (54'6") as a junior.

Young enrolled at Tennessee in 2003, spending the season on the scout team as an offensive tackle. He appeared briefly as a reserve on the offensive line in the Louisiana Tech, South Carolina and Texas A&M (Cotton Bowl) contests in 2004. He continued to perform in reserve for seven of the nine games he appeared in during 2005, earning the first two starts for his career in the Louisiana State and Mississippi clashes.

In 2006, Young started all 13 games at right offensive tackle. He was named to the Associated Press All-Southeastern Conference second-team and was part of a Tennessee line that allowed only 19 quarterback sacks. He posted 90 knockdowns with 10 touchdown-resulting blocks, as the Vols averaged 372.5 yards per game.

Young was again named All-SEC second-team in 2007, despite missing the squad's final six games. He registered 58 knockdowns with 11 touchdown-resulting blocks and was leading conference offensive linemen with an 86.4% grade for blocking consistency prior to his injury.

Analysis

Strengths

Positives: Has good bone structure and upper-body tone, with thick limbs, big back, wide waist and hips, good bubble and thick thighs and calves...Demonstrates excellent upper-body strength and a punishing hand punch...Lacks ideal size for an offensive tackle, but with drive-blocking skills and ability to get into position, he might be best served as a guard at the next level...Physically dominates in one-on-one situations, as his hand punch will usually shock and jolt the defender...Shows the loose hips and athletic agility to quickly recover and finish blocks, whether vs. the run or pass...Fires off the ball with tremendous explosiveness, possessing the footwork in his kick-slide to retreat and protect the pocket...Classic knee bender who plays with a solid base and is very good at taking angles on pulls into the second level, which could invite a move to guard...Runs with a normal stride and has the loose hips and change-of-direction agility to properly distribute his weight when moving in space...Explodes into defenders on contact and, while he might overextend at times in pass protection, he is quick to regain position...Picks up stunts well and has the intelligence to digest a complicated playbook...Rare to see him fooled by action along the line (only penalized once for a false start as a starter)...One of the hardest workers on the team and a self-starter who will not need to be monitored...Stays low in his pads blocking in-line, doing a nice job of gaining advantage...Can be sudden with his first step...Generates good hip strike and is quick out of his stance to gain position...Creates good movement off the line, thanks to a heavy hand punch and knows how to use his body to dominate when isolated...Will roll his hips well in order to generate pop on contact, as his hip rotation allows him to get a good surge in short-yardage runs (outstanding short-area mauler)...Uses his hand strength to lock on, steer and control...Has good cover-up ability and works hard to finish once he engages his man...Sustains with good flexibility and bend...Shows the raw power and redirection agility to recover when he gets taken out of position...Has very good screen and wall-off ability on run blocks, rolling his hips on contact (rare to see him lose his base working in-line)...Made noticeable improvement before getting hurt as a senior with his ability to take good angles and adjust to second-level defenders than he displayed as a junior...Has the chip-and-land ability to screen and maintain position...Can sink his hips and mirror in pass protection, readjusting much better to in-line movement than in space...Even when he keeps his hands low, he has the strength in his punch to knock the oncoming bull rusher off-balance or to the ground...Has greatly improved his recoil and recovery quickness when delivering a short punch...When he keeps his hands inside the framework of the defensive lineman, he generates good lock-out ability on his blocks...Shuffles his feet well and does a nice job of recovering vs. quick in-line moves. Negatives: Lacks the size you look for in a tackle and will have to move inside...Does not have the long arm reach to handle speedy edge rushers at the next level...Had several leg injuries (ankle sprain, torn left quad) and might need further medical evaluation...More of a quiet, reserved type, but has no character issues...Can get a bit top heavy trying to sustain blocks, overextending and falling off his base vs. move-oriented edge rushers and blitzers...Not used often on pulls and traps to be fully evaluated in that area, but seems to have the quickness to get out in front...Much more dominant as an in-line blocker, as he will lose some balance when trying to get out and attack targets at the second level (needs to take better angles)...Has a strong hand punch, but will drop them too low at times, causing him to be late in attempts to battle counter moves. Compares To: RUBEN BROWN-Chicago...Both players are known for a punishing hand jolt and ability to use their strength to explode into blocks. Young likes to bury in-line defenders and is a dominating drive blocker with excellent consistency to finish. Even when he gets caught out of position, he has the loose hips to recover. He lacks the long reach and size to play tackle at the next level and has not really been used much to pull, but he has the quickness and ability to take good angles working into the second level. He might carry his hands too low at times, but he is quick to get them into the defender and once he hits his man, the defender is usually out of the play. He needs to show in pre-draft workouts that he is making progress from his torn quad and that he still has the quickness to fire off the snap. A team is looking for a physical road grader, will have Young's number on draft day.
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Grade Title Draft (Round) Description
96-100 Future Hall of Famer Top Pick A once-in-a-generation type prospect who could change how his position is played
85-95 Immediate Starter 1st An impact player with the ability/intangibles to become a Pro Bowl player. Expect to start immediately except in a unique situation (i.e. behind a veteran starter).
70-84 Eventual Starter 2nd-3rd A quality player who will contribute to the team early on and is expected to develop into a starter. A reliable player who brings value to the position.
50-69 Draftable Player 4th-7th A prospect with the ability to make team as a backup/role player. Needs to be a special teams contributor at applicable positions. Players in the high range of this category might have long-term potential.
20-49 Free Agent UDFA A player with solid measurables, intangibles, college achievements, or a developing skill that warrants an opportunity in an NFL camp. In the right situation, he could earn a place on a 53-man roster, but most likely will be a practice squad player or a camp body.

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