Zion
Young.
Zion
Young.
Missouri· 6'4"· 258 lb
"Long, twitchy strong-side edge with a heavy long-arm and elite motor; production caught up to the traits in a captain-led 2025 that pushed him into Day 2 as a scheme-flexible 4-3 DE / 3-4 SAM."Pre-draft read
Plays strong-side edge, often with hand in dirt on early downs and standing in sub-packages. He wins with length and a violent long-arm punch, stalling tackles at contact and converting speed-to-power. His punch-jerk-shed against gap runs is evident. He demonstrates adequate bend around the arc, timing counters—inside spin, cross-chop, ghost—off of the long-arm, finishing with active feet when the pocket collapses.
He sets a physical edge in the run game, stacking tight ends with extension and squeezing trap and pin-pull plays with discipline. His motor is a distinguishing trait; he is consistently the last off the pile, chasing screens sideline-to-sideline, and hunting strip-sack attempts. His twitch off the ball is average, relying more on length, plan, and effort than pure ankle-bend.
Baltimore often runs an attacking one-gap 3-4 front that leverages length and pursuit to create negative plays and finish at the ball.
Year 1 as a rotational SDE/OLB who can provide early-down run defense and close out games as a high-motor rusher with a ceiling to develop into a full-time starter.
He would be incredibly exposed in a two-gap 3-4 scheme that demands patience at the point of attack, where his lack of twitch and length would get swallowed by double-teams, diminishing his disruptive traits.
Young's violent long-arm and outstanding motor make him a scheme-versatile strong-side rusher who can contribute immediately in specific sub-packages.
Zion Young Highlights | Missouri Edge | 2025 Season and NFL Draft Tape
Zion Young Missouri Highlights
Zion Young (DE) 🔥 | FULL Missouri Highlights | Welcome to the Baltimore Ravens
This prospect projects as a plug-and-play strong-side defensive end, suitable for both 4-3 and 3-4 fronts, offering immediate depth and a foundational presence. His length and motor are compelling traits, providing a clear pathway to a rotational role early in his career. The average bend around the arc is the primary consideration that limits his ceiling as a pure pass rusher, but his overall game provides significant value.
He transferred to Missouri as a rotational player and developed into a key defensive leader, registering 8.5 sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss in his final collegiate season. His two seasons in Columbia demonstrated clear improvements in hand usage, counter moves, and run-game discipline. His standout performance against #10 Texas A&M, where he recorded two sacks, a forced fumble, and a fourth-quarter TFL, highlighted his ability to impact high-level games.
Consensus evaluations placed him at the top of Day 2, recognizing his potential impact. Evaluators valued his build at approximately 6-4, 258 pounds, with the desired frame for a strong-side player. He was ultimately selected by the Baltimore Ravens at pick #45 in the second round, aligning with the expected draft range for a player of his profile.
- 01
Long-arm punch that resets
Explosive independent-hand strike into tackles' chest plates that jars them off their spot and creates immediate leverage, the foundation of everything he does.
- 02
Speed-to-power conversion
Loads the second step through contact and walks tackles into the quarterback; overwhelmed Texas A&M's edge on his signature two-sack game.
- 03
Elite motor and finish
Rarely gives up on a rep; consistently late-pursuit tackles, strip-sack attempts and second-effort pressures on tape that a lot of edges leave on the field.
- 04
Run-game edge-setter
Two-gaps with length and discipline against tight-end blocks, squeezes trap and pin-pull, and turns runs back inside — a legitimate 4-3 SDE / 3-4 SAM base-down trait.
- 05
Captain-tier intangibles
2025 team captain, respected voice through Missouri's coaching turbulence, played through an MCL sprain to return for the rivalry week.
- 01
Average bend around the arc
Ankle flexion and corner tightness are ordinary; when the long-arm doesn't win first, he can round the top and let tackles ride him past the quarterback.
- 02
First-step twitch is ordinary
Wins with length and plan more than get-off; will not consistently threaten NFL left tackles as a pure speed rusher on third-and-long.
- 03
Pass-rush production streaky
Sacks came in bunches; on middle-of-the-tape reps he can go quiet against tackles who match his length and neutralize the long-arm early.
- 04
Age curve as a fifth-year senior
Older prospect who benefited from a full grad-transfer year; less runway than a 21-year-old with the same tape.
| Yr | Team | G | Tkl | Sk | Int | PD | FF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Michigan State | 8 | 21 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | Michigan State | 12 | 26 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | Missouri | 13 | 41 | 2.5 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 2025 | Missouri | 12 | 42 | 6.5 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Career | — | 45 | 130 | 11.5 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
A dash means the figure is not published by a source we trust — never a zero we invented.
Rotational strong-side end who wins with length, effort and a developing counter package rather than elite bend.
Long, plan-heavy strong-side edge whose motor and hand usage age well and who becomes a base-down anchor plus situational rusher.
Motor-heavy edge whose sack production stays streaky because the bend never catches up to the plan and the length.
Everything above is the pre-draft evaluation. This section is what actually happened — updated year over year.
Pre-draft context — Young's stock climbed from mid-Day 3 dart to firm early Day 2 across his two Missouri years. Evaluators saw the length, the punch and the motor from the jump; the swing questions were bend and finishing burst. A junior year in the SEC checked the "does the effort translate against real tackles" box, and a captain-year jump — better hand plan, counters, a signature Texas A&M game — pushed him into the Day 2 conversation.
NFL fit — Baltimore Ravens: Baltimore had a clear plan at #45. Young projects as a strong-side five-technique in an attacking odd front and as a heavy-set base end in four-man looks, immediately stepping into the depth behind Kyle Van Noy and the rotation Baltimore built after Odafe Oweh's free-agent departure. The Ravens value edge-setters who two-gap on early downs and get up the field on obvious rush downs; Young's long-arm and motor are a natural fit, and the organization has a track record — Van Noy, Justin Madubuike — of adding pass-rush plans to bigger, longer edges.
Retrospective — Too early to grade, but the evaluation was clean: rotational strong-side end with rare motor and captain intangibles, drafted into a defense that develops that exact archetype. If the counter package continues to mature the Van Noy comp on the low side is realistic; if the bend stays average he still profiles as a valuable four-down base end. Either outcome would make #45 a defensible use of the pick.