The last 2 years, the Baltimore Ravens have drafted edge rushers in the 2nd round who, for all intents and purposes, dropped out of the 1st round due to off-field issues.
In 2025, it was Mike Green, who was solid but not spectacular with 3.5 sacks in 17 games as a rookie.
In 2026, it’s Zion Young, who Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport predicts will win an intense position battle at edge rusher over Green and Tavius Robinson to become the starter opposite NFL All-Pro Trey Hendrickson, who signed a 4-year, $112 million free-agent contract with the Ravens in March.
“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.”
‘Character Concerns’ Killed Zion Young’s Draft Stock
The Ravens got 1st-round talent in the 2nd round due to the red flags surrounding the 6-foot-6, 262-pound Young coming out of college.
If not for a pair of ugly off-field incidents during his time at Michigan State and Missouri, it seems like Young would have been a lock to go in the 1st round, which ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler pointed out in his post-draft analysis of every NFL team.
Instead, the Ravens got him in the 2nd round (No. 45 overall), and it could end up being 1 of the great value picks in the 2026 draft.
“The Ravens might also have gotten a first-round talent in edge rusher Zion Young,” Fowler wrote. “Some teams knocked him for character concerns, but the first-round ability is there.”
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.
Fortunately for Young, that arrest came after he put up a season that was catnip for NFL coaches considering his size and athleticism — he had career highs of 8.0 sacks, 18 TFL, 48 QB pressures, and 2 forced fumbles in 2025.
“Missouri football defensive end Zion Young was arrested early Saturday morning 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,” The Columbia Daily Tribune’s Calum McAndrew wrote on December 13. “Young, 21, was arrested at 1:40 a.m. in Boone County. He was later released on summons for the above charges.”
With the Ravens, there is already a good support system in place — 2023 1st round pick and starting cornerback Nate Wiggins is Young’s best friend.
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