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Columbia Daily Tribune
Baltimore Ravens pick Missouri DE Zion Young in NFL draft second round
- Story byColumbia Daily Tribune
- Baltimore Ravens pick Missouri DE Zion Young in NFL draft second round
They didn’t want to draft a cat , did they?
Missouri football defensive end Zion Young is officially heading to the NFL after the Ravens used the No. 45 overall pick to bring him to Baltimore in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft on Friday, April 24, in Pittsburgh.
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Young is the first Mizzou player to come off the board in this year’s draft. The Tigers missed out on having a first-round draft pick for a third straight year, which would have tied a program record. Young had some pre-draft first-round buzz.
The defensive end is the seventh Missouri player to be drafted in the opening three rounds of the draft since head coach Eli Drinkwitz took over in Columbia in 2020. The Tigers have had an edge rusher drafted in three of the last four years.
Young has been a fan- and team-favorite at Mizzou for the past two years. He’s a self-proclaimed loud locker room presence and emerged as an ultra-physical pass-rusher for the Tigers in his senior season.
Now, he’s taking his talents to Baltimore as a second-round pick.
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Here is what you need to know about former Missouri defensive end and Ravens draft pick Zion Young:
Missouri football DE Zion Young college stats
Dec 27, 2025; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Missouri Tigers defensive end Zion Young (9) warms up before the Gator Bowl against the Virginia Cavaliers at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Travis Register-Imagn Images
Young spent the past two seasons with Missouri, transferring to the Tigers after two years at Michigan State. He's a violent pass rusher that has been tough to contain during his time in Columbia.
He played 26 games in Columbia, locking down a starting role at MU’s field end position. Young led Mizzou with 57 quarterback pressures in 326 pass rushing snaps last season, per Pro Football Focus. That also was the second-most in the SEC.
Young had 6.5 sacks as part of 16.5 total tackles for loss last season. He forced a team-high two fumbles, batted two passes and had 42 total tackles in the 2025 season.
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Zion Young highlights, strengths
The lasting memories of Young in a Mizzou uniform will be his scoop-and-score touchdown in 2024 to beat Oklahoma and, one year later, perhaps the best coin toss meeting of all time right before he made a series of pivotal plays to help Mizzou beat Auburn on the road in overtime.
First, the game-winning touchdown.
Now, the all-time coin toss moment.
Young is the guy you can hear yelling over the official’s microphone.
And, for good measure, some more great Zion Young tape.
He's a violent player off the edge who flat-out seems to enjoy contact. That's what made him one of the most-impactful defensive ends in the Southeastern Conference last season. There weren't many players who put quarterbacks under more pressure than Young.
Zion Young weaknesses, concerns
Missouri football defensive end Zion Young was arrested in December on suspicion of driving while intoxicated, speeding, and a failure to properly affix a license plate to his vehicle, per Missouri State Highway Patrol arrest records.
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Zion Young height, weight
Young measured in at 6 foot 5¾ and 262 pounds at the NFL Scouting Combine.
He has a 33-inch arm length and 9½-inch hands.
Oct 18, 2025; Auburn, Alabama, USA; Missouri Tigers defensive end Zion Young (9) moves in to tackle Auburn Tigers quarterback Jackson Arnold (11) during the fourth quarter at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Reed-Imagn Images
Zion Young combine results
Young did not go through drills at the combine.
More: Meet Zion Young, Missouri football’s ‘relentless’ scoop-and-score Oklahoma hero
Zion Young high school
Young is from Atlanta and attended Westlake High.
He was a three-star high school prospect in the Class of 2022.
Nov 29, 2025; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Missouri Tigers head coach Eli Drinkwitz celebrates with defensive end Zion Young (9) and the Battle Line trophy after a game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Missouri won 31-17. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images
Jul 17, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Missouri Tigers defensive end Zion Young talks to the media during the SEC Media Days at Omni Atlanta Hotel. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images
Zion Young draft grade
USA Today grade: B
Draft analyst Michael Middlehurst-Schwarz: "Young is never afraid to get physical with his opponents. He likely will never be a double-digit sack guy, but he contrasts 2025 second-rounder Mike Green in that he can stop the run and set a firm edge."
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Does Zion Young fit Ravens needs?
"A big edge (6-6, 262), the Ravens continue reloading a front that let them down in 2025. Young is stout against the run and will have to be given fellow pass rusher Trey Hendrickson 's tendency to focus mostly on hunting QBs." – USA Today NFL reporter Nate Davis .
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Zion Young draft, Ravens pick Missouri DE in NFL draft second round
