Zion Young calls himself a "Hell Raiser" in his social media bio.
Part of it hails from being the youngest of 11 children in his family. The other part comes from the chaos he sows on the football field.
After drafting a butt-kicking guard in Round 1 with Vega Ioane, the Ravens added another physical force in Young on the other side of the trenches with their first pick on Day 2.
One of the most complete EDGE defenders in this year's class, the former Missouri standout is an imposing player in size (6-foot-5, 267 pounds) and style of play. He has the production to back up his stature. Young posted 6.5 sacks and 16.5 tackles for loss last season, earning First Team All-SEC honors.
"That's me, I raise hell, especially on the field," Young said. "I enjoy setting the edge. From a youngin', I was always taught smashmouth football. I love having fun."
Only two NFL teams had fewer sacks than the Ravens' 30 last season. Baltimore took a big swing, signing veteran Trey Hendrickson to the biggest contract given to an outside free agent in franchise history.
Now the Ravens have used major draft capital to further solidify the unit, which also includes Tavius Robinson and Mike Green, who the Ravens expect to have a breakout season. Young will add even more juice to the room as a player and character.
Young said he took a top-30 visit to Baltimore, but he may have made his first strong impression at the Senior Bowl, where he dominated and solidified his status as one of the top EDGE rushers.
Many pundits had Young as a borderline first-round prospect, and he said the competitive side of him didn't like waiting till the second round. The Ravens got him at pick No. 45, perhaps because of off-field questions.
Young was arrested and charged with suspicion of a DWI in December of 2025. Before that, he was one of seven Michigan State players suspended for the final four games of the 2022 season, following a postgame altercation at Michigan. However, the vocal leader was voted a team captain at Missouri last season.
"That meant a lot," Young said. "It says a lot about how my team viewed me. ... I come from a big family, usually with my dad and oldest brother being the leader of my team back at home."
Young's father was in the military and introduced him to football and weight lifting at an early age, which helped him in battles with his 10 older siblings. Young grew up playing football with Ravens cornerback Nate Wiggins, including as teammates at Westlake High School in Atlanta.
"Nate Wiggins, that's my brother, man," Young said. "I'm fired up to be back with him. ... I can't wait to see him again. I can't wait to play with him again. That's been my boy, almost like my best friend."
