MOBILE, Ala. — For one more week, Alabama's Byron Young and DJ Dale will don their crimson helmets and line up next to each other along the defensive line.
The two have become synonymous with the Crimson Tide's defensive front garnering 102 games played during their four-year tenure in Tuscaloosa. Now Dale and Young are showcasing their talents a mere three hours south of where they called home during their college careers.
The duo accepted invites to the Reese's Senior Bowl in December and now that the showcase is here, Young and Dale are excited to prove themselves once again.
"I'm really just looking forward to the competition," Young said. "I get to go against good players from all (across) the country. ... I'm really just taking the opportunities that are given to me. We only get eight reps that are live in team. I'm really just taking advantage of those and doing what I can do best."
Young comes into the week as the higher-rated prospect of the two, projected to be selected during the second day of the NFL draft. The projection comes after another productive season with the Crimson Tide.
The 6-foot-3, 292-pounder finished eighth on the team in total tackles racking up 47 which led all defensive linemen. He added five tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks which ranked fifth and third on the team respectively. With the trip to Mobile serving as the first step of his draft process, Young said he wanted to showcase his consistency to the NFL coaches and scouts in attendance.
That mantra of consistency became a calling card for the Laurel, Mississippi native as he didn't miss a game at Alabama. The Crimson Tide's reliance on No. 47 paid off as Young tallied 139 total tackles, 22.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks in 54 games played.
As a result, Young continued to make improvements to his game which caught the attention of his new teammates.
"He uses his hands very well," former TCU offensive lineman Steve Avila said. "You don't really see thicker guys that have to do a certain thing, but I feel like he can do both. That's something I'm worried about when I go up against (him)."
As for Dale, he comes to Mobile as a projected third-day selection when the NFL Draft commences. The Birmingham, Alabama native shared his starting nose guard spot with freshman Jaheim Oatis in 2022 which resulted in a bit of a decline in production.
The 6-foot-3, 300-pounder tallied 17 total tackles and a career-high 2.5 sacks in 12 games last season. Despite fighting off constant double teams, Dale saw an increase in his sack totals and his tackles for loss totals from when he first arrived at Alabama.
Spurred on by that production, Dale is looking to showcase that he's more than a run-stopper.
"I'm looking to show my versatility," Dale said. "I'm not gonna shy away from what I do best, I do play the run best, but I also want to show that I can affect the pass as well."
"I definitely think he can do both," former Syracuse offensive lineman Matthew Bergeron said. "He's definitely active with his hands and everything so I think it just comes down to coaching."
Bergeron anchored an Orange offensive line that withstood the talented pass rushers of the ACC such as Clemson's KJ Henry and Notre Dame's Isaiah Foskey. Bergeron said both Dale and Young are just as talented as the rushers he faced in college after just one day of practicing as a team.
"Those guys are definitely talented and there's a big difference in how the way they pass rush," Bergeron said. "Their athleticism is out of the roof. It's great being able to compete against guys that I'm not used to competing against, especially SEC talent and I'm grateful for that opportunity."
Added Avila: "They get after it. Those Alabama guys are pushed well. They got me a couple of times (in practice)."
