Zion Young is an edge rusher and 2026 NFL Draft prospect who played his final two seasons at the University of Missouri after beginning his collegiate career at Michigan State. A native of Westlake, Georgia, Young was a three-star recruit in the 2022 class who committed to the Spartans and recorded 47 tackles and 2.5 sacks across 20 games over two seasons in East Lansing before entering the transfer portal. He joined Missouri for 2024 and immediately became a starter, recording 42 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, three passes defended, and a fumble returned for a touchdown while starting all 13 games. His 2025 season was his best, as he led the Tigers' defensive front with 23 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, and 9.0 sacks, ranking among the national leaders in sack efficiency and earning a combined 55 pressures on 300 documented pass-rush snaps, good for an 18.3 percent pressure rate. He was named second-team All-SEC for his efforts. His career is complicated by an off-field record that includes a misdemeanor assault charge from an incident during his time at Michigan State and a December 2025 DWI arrest that was pending at the time of the draft.
Standing 6 feet 6 inches and approximately 262 pounds with rare length, Young brings the physical profile that generates immediate excitement among evaluators, with a powerful bull rush, violent run-defense effort, and enough pass-rush variety to be effective across multiple alignments. His run defense is widely considered his best trait, as his gap discipline, anchor strength against blocks, and length to keep blockers from his frame make him effective on early downs in a way that pure speed rushers often cannot match. The limitations are a limited counter-move repertoire as a pass rusher when his initial bull rush is absorbed, questionable lateral bend around the corner against faster offensive tackles, and the off-field history that will require due diligence from every interested organization. He projects as a late Day 1 to early Day 2 selection whose combination of size, run defense ability, and nine-sack production makes him an attractive gamble for teams willing to invest in his character development.
