Ravens select Missouri defensive end Zion Young with No. 45 pick

The Ravens used the 45th pick on Zion Young, betting that Missouri’s 6-foot-5, 262-pound defensive end can help keep pressure coming off the edge in Baltimore. Young arrived with real production, not just projection, after posting 9.0 sacks, 9.5 tackles for loss and 37 quarterback hurries in 2025.

Baltimore’s choice lined up with the kind of traits that have long mattered for the Ravens’ front seven: size, effort and violence at the line of scrimmage. Young started all 13 games for Missouri last season, finished with 23 tackles and earned second-team All-SEC honors from league coaches. Missouri also credited him with nine quarterback hits, and his 0.69 sacks per game ranked 19th nationally and fourth in the Southeastern Conference.

What stands out most is how Young wins. His game is built on power, heavy hands and nonstop pursuit, the kind of profile that can fit a defense looking for disruption even before a prospect has polished every move in his toolbox. The tradeoff is clear, too. Young does not rely on natural bend around the corner as much as some pure speed rushers, and he leans more on strength than on a deep menu of counter moves. That is the part Baltimore will need to refine if Young is going to turn pressure into consistent NFL sacks.

The athletic upside is real enough for the Ravens to spend a premium second-round pick on him. Young’s draft profile lists a 4.75-second forty-yard dash and a Senior Bowl invitation, details that help explain why Baltimore viewed him as more than a developmental body. He also brings a transfer background that includes Michigan State before he landed at Missouri and broke out in Columbia.

The pick also fits into a bigger Ravens draft picture. Young went back-to-back with linebacker Josiah Trotter at Nos. 45 and 46, and he joins first-round pick Olaivavega Ioane in what is becoming a sizable haul. Missouri said six Tigers were selected in the 2026 NFL Draft, the second-most in school history, and Young was one of the program’s representatives at 2025 SEC Football Kickoff Media Days alongside Eliah Drinkwitz, Daylan Carnell and Connor Tollison.

For Baltimore, the message is straightforward: Young should have a chance to contribute early as a rotational pass rusher if the Ravens can sharpen the technical parts of his game. The motor, power and production are already there.