4 Possible Landing Spots for Mizzou's Zion Young on Day 2 of the NFL Draft

Looking at four teams that would be a good fit for Young in Round 2 of the draft.

Dec 27, 2025; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Missouri Tigers defensive end Zion Young (9) warms up before the Gator Bowl against the Virginia Cavaliers at EverBank Stadium. | Travis Register-Imagn Images

Entering Day 2 of the 2026 NFL draft, Missouri edge rusher Zion Young stands as one of the top remaining prospects.

Six edge rushers were selected in Round 1 of the draft, leaving Young as the best player available at his position, according to many analysts.

Young was a first-team All-SEC player for the Tigers in 2025, recording 6.5 sacks on 57 total pressures, per Pro Football Focus. If he's selected in the first 18 picks of Round 2, it'll mark a third straight year where a Missouri player was selected in the top 50.

READ: Breaking Down Zion Young's NFL Draft Projection, Pro Potential

The good news for Young is that there are several teams early in the second round in need of an edge rusher. Here's a look at four realistic landing spots for Young on Friday.

Pick No. 33: San Francisco 49ers

Young could be the first player off the board Friday night. It's what Sports Illustrated's Daniel Flick projected in his mock draft on Friday morning. In 2025, the 49ers didn't have the elite pass rush that felt like a guarantee for the team in years prior, with San Francisco finishing last in the league in sacks on the season.

Pick No. 40: Kansas City Chiefs

Young might just have a short drive out west for the next stop of his career.

The Chiefs made one of the early surprising moves of the draft when they traded up three spots to select LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane, choosing to pass on some of the top edge rusher prospects in the draft to instead take the first defensive back off the board. The Chiefs then selected Clemson defensive tackle Peter Woods at pick No. 29.

READ: Grading Chiefs' Mansoor Delane Pick: Instant Reaction, Fit, Roster Impact

Even with two defensive additions, edge rusher still remains a top need for the Chiefs. If Kansas City selects Young, it'll be the first Missouri player they select in the draft since taking Nick Bolton with the No. 58 pick in 2021.

Pick No. 50: Detroit Lions

Could a return to Michigan be in store for Young, who started his career at Michigan State? Former first-overall pick Aidan Hutchinson has become one of the best in the league, but Detroit hasn't been able to find someone to pair with the second-team All-Pro.

Pick No. 52: Green Bay Packers

Staying in the NFC North, the Packers also have an elite edge rusher in Micah Parsons, but have struggled to find production from its edge rushers out of him. Pair that with the fact that the Packers recently traded former Pro Bowler Rashan Gary to the Dallas Cowboys, and that former first-round selection Lukas Van Ness is entering the final year on his rookie deal, 2026 would be an ideal year for Green Bay to select and develop an edge rusher.

However, Green Bay might have to move up in order to have a chance at selecting Young.