For most, the 2023 NFL Draft marked the arrival of some of the most exciting quarterback prospects in recent years — Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, Anthony Richardson, and others. But for Panthers fans, that draft, particularly their decision to take Young first overall over Stroud, might be a memory they’d rather not revisit.
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And amidst all the quarterback chaos, two players with the exact same name were drafted just minutes apart on Day 2 — and most football enthusiasts didn’t even notice it. But that’s not all.
Call it something out of a comedy sketch or a front office nightmare, it seems like the Las Vegas Raiders may not have picked the Byron Young they actually wanted that day. Yes, you heard that right.
In the third round, with the 70th overall pick, Las Vegas selected Byron Young, a 6’3″, 295-pound defensive tackle out of Alabama. While productive at times for the Crimson Tide, he wasn’t a player many analysts expected to come off the board that early. In fact, most mock drafts had him slotted in the sixth or seventh round — or not at all. So, the Raiders’ selection back then seemed odd.
Then, just seven picks later, the Los Angeles Rams selected another Byron Young — this one, a 6’2″, 250-pound edge rusher from Tennessee who had racked up 12.5 sacks and 23.5 tackles for loss across his final two seasons in the SEC. NFL Network and ESPN had him ranked as a top-100 prospect, and his draft stock had been steadily climbing. So, it was a smart pick for the Rams.
This was actually the first time in NFL history that two players with the same name were drafted in the same round of the same draft. To sum it up, both players shared not only a name but also a position group and the same SEC conference. So, that’s probably why the Raiders made the blunder.
NFL Draft enthusiasts on TikTok have recently broken down the controversy, asserting that the Tom Brady-owned team meant to take the one from Knoxville instead of Tuscaloosa. After all, the Tennessee player was the more polished and exciting of the two Byrons.
When the #Raiders drafted the wrong Byron Young♂️#Rams Byron young also spoke out saying he received a call from the #Raiders saying they were choosing him next and when he looked at the screen it was a different Byron Young pic.twitter.com/jkMISG7AUG
— ShifftttyyyQB1☠️ (@raiders1022) April 12, 2025
Don’t believe them? Here’s what happened next: Alabama’s Byron Young played just six games for the Raiders, registering four tackles before being cut in August. He was later signed by the Eagles but has yet to make an impact.
Meanwhile, the Rams’ Byron Young exploded onto the scene. As a rookie, he started 16 games, recorded 8 sacks, 19 QB hits, and 61 total tackles. He earned PFWA All-Rookie Team honors and was graded by Pro Football Focus as one of the top rookie edge rushers of the year. In Year 2, he followed up with 9 more sacks, proving he wasn’t a one-season wonder.
Though the Las Vegas Raiders never addressed the rumors, fans and media continue alluding to it as a front-office mix-up. If it was a mistake, it’s one that could haunt Vegas for years — especially with the other Byron Young blossoming into a star. And if it wasn’t a mistake, then maybe their scouting team needs to take a hard look at themselves.
