Zion Young NFL Draft 2026 Scouting Report for Baltimore Ravens Edge

Matt HolderNov 13, 2025

The Baltimore Ravens selected Missouri Edge Zion Young with the No. 45 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft.

Zion Young looks like he was built in a lab to play defensive end in the NFL, possessing a good frame at 6'5", 262 pounds with long arms and tools that a lot of teams will be willing to work with. He also has solid strength to push the pocket as a pass-rusher and set the edge against the run.

A 3-star recruit in the 2022 class, Young began his college career at Michigan State, spending two seasons in East Lansing. He played in eight games as a true freshman, collecting 21 tackles, two for loss and a sack before posting 26 tackles, 4.5 TFLs and 1.5 sacks in 12 games in year two.

The former Spartan transferred to Missouri as a junior in 2024 and started every game for the Tigers, collecting 42 tackles, 5.5 TFLs, 2.5 sacks, three passes defended, a forced fumble and a fumble returned for a touchdown.

This past season, he accumulated 42 tackles, 16.5 TFLs, 6.5 sacks and two PDs to earn first-team All-SEC honors.

Matt Holder has been a part of B/R's Scouting Department for four seasons. He also writes about the Las Vegas Raiders and NFL draft for SB Nation's Silver and Black Pride, and co-hosts a YouTube Channel, Tape Don't Lie, providing film breakdowns and more draft prospect analysis.

Highlights

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Scroll down for the complete scouting report.

Where He Wins

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COLLEGE FOOTBALL: OCT 11 Alabama at Missouri

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- Young has a good frame and build, and has good arm length.

- Solid strength at the point of attack and the long arms help him get extension on blocks from offensive tackles.

- Consistently resets the line of scrimmage against tight ends.

- Decent at setting the edge and running his feet to avoid getting reached against the run.

- Solid power and leg drive as a pass-rusher to occasionally collapse the pocket when bull rushing or turning speed to power.

- Active hands as a pass-rusher and has shown improvement with his use of hands from 2024 to 2025.

- Good pass-rusher motor to get coverage sacks.

Areas of Improvement

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- Lacks burst/acceleration off the line of scrimmage to threaten offensive tackles with speed around the edge.

- Not very twitchy and doesn't show high-level athleticism as a pass-rusher.

- Use of hands when rushing the passer is still a work in progress, his timing is off which limits his ability to take advantage of his long arms.

- Subpar bend and angles around the edge, impacting his ability to corner at the top of the rush and leading to inefficient paths to the quarterback.

- Has a habit of occasionally working around blocks.

- Turns his shoulders perpendicular to the line of scrimmage when setting the edge.

- As a freshman at Michigan State, he was involved in a fight in the tunnel after the game against Michigan and pled guilty to misdemeanor assault charges while also serving a suspension. Also, he was arrested for DWI on Dec. 13, two weeks before Missouri's bowl game, per KOMU 8.