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.
Young is 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.
"Zion is a rugged, tough, physical player. I think he's just scratching the surface of what he can be as a player," Head Coach Jesse Minter said.
"I love his play style. He plays extremely hard and plays extremely physical. He's very powerful in the run game, meaning, when he strikes blocks, they go the other way. When people pull on him and he strikes him, it's a train wreck."
Young has the production to back up his stature. He posted 6.5 sacks and 16.5 tackles for loss last season, earning First Team All-SEC honors. And he did it with a violence that will fit in well in Baltimore.
"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 used major draft capital to further solidify and diversify the unit, which also includes Tavius Robinson and Mike Green, who the Ravens expect to have a breakout season.
"I do think he has the ability to rush up and down the line," Minter said. "So, he has some versatility there, particularly as you get into third down, and you want to put different guys in different spots. You want to have different types of rushers, and you look at that room now – that's a really versatile room that I couldn't be more excited about."
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.
General Manager Eric DeCosta said the Ravens considered Young to be a "first-round type of player." Young said the competitive side of him didn't like waiting until the second round, but he's happy with where he landed. The Ravens got him at pick No. 45, perhaps because of off-field questions.
Young was one of seven Michigan State players suspended for the final four games of the 2022 season following a postgame altercation at Michigan. At Missouri, he was arrested and charged with suspicion of DWI in December of 2025, and the case is still reportedly pending. DeCosta said the Ravens do a good job getting information and are "comfortable" with it. Those issues didn't stop Young from being voted a team captain at Missouri last season.
"That meant a lot," Young said of being a captain. "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."
