The Baltimore Ravens almost certainly got 1st round value with 6-foot-3, 250-pound edge rusher Mike Green in the 2nd round of the 2025 NFL draft.
We don’t know if Green truly has 1st round talent yet, but with a new, defensive-minded head coach in Jesse Minter — who has a reputation for developing edge rushers — we are about to find out.
Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon singled out Green as the most important 2nd-year player on Baltimore’s roster in 2026, as the team desperately tries to find elite pass rushers — as evidenced by signing NFL All-Pro edge rusher Trey Hendrickson to a 4-year, $112 million contract.
“First-round safety Malaki Starks has a real shot at stardom and is on a promising path,” Gagnon wrote. “Green — the team’s second-round selection — was much quieter as a rookie but has the tools to become a stellar starter. Trey Hendrickson’s presence could free him up to make a major impact in Year 2, but he could just as easily get lost in the shuffle with Tavius Robinson and Zion Young in the mix on the edge as well.”
Minter almost certainly will be the key to unlocking Green’s potential after he had 3.5 sacks as a rookie.
In 2025, as defensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Chargers, Minter took a midseason trade for Ravens’ 1st-round bust in edge rusher Odafe Oweh and turned him into a star in just a half-season — Oweh wound up with a 4-year, $100 million free-agent contract from the Washington Commanders.
Rookie 2nd-Round Pick Could Take Green’s Spot
For the 2nd year in a row, the Ravens took a talented edge rusher in the 2nd round who dropped out of the 1st round because of off-field issues. In 2025, it was Green, who was accused of sexual assault multiple times in high school and college.
In 2026, it was Missouri’s Zion Young, who could very well end up being the person who takes Green’s spot in the lineup.
Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport predicted Young will win an intense position battle at edge rusher over Green and Tavius Robinson to become the starter opposite Hendrickson.
“This is a legitimate toss-up,” Davenport wrote. “Robinson is the most proven option, logging those 4.5 sacks last year in 451 snaps. Green was drafted for his pass-rushing upside. Young may well be the most talented of the trio. All three will play this season, but with a strong camp, Young’s combination of physicality and athleticism could prove tough to keep off the field.”
Zion Young Arrested Twice During College Career
In 2 seasons at Michigan State to start his college career, Young made 11 starts in 20 career games with just 2.5 sacks. He became more known for what he did after a game than anything he ever did in one.
In 2023, Young was 1 of 7 Michigan State players arrested after they jumped a pair of Michigan players in the tunnel following a 49-0 loss to the Wolverines. He was suspended from the team and eventually pleaded guilty to misdemeanor aggravated assault.
Young played his final 2 seasons for Missouri and ran into trouble at the end of his breakout season in 2025 when he was arrested on DWI charges after putting up career highs of 8.0 sacks, 18 TFL, 48 QB pressures, and 2 forced fumbles in 2025.
Ravens’ 2nd-Round Pick Warned Against Being ‘Lost in the Shuffle’