How Zion Young's 'High Energy' is Making Impression on NFL Staffs

INDIANAPOLIS — It doesn't take too much time of listening to Zion Young to realize how his personality aligns with his playing style.

His energy and fun-loving nature translate to a fiery edge rusher. This week in Indianapolis, Young has the chance to show off both of those aspects to NFL teams at the NFL Scouting Combine. He'll go through several meetings with teams during the week before participating in on-field drills Thursday.

"Got a chance to be around some great guys, they find me very loud and funny," Young said of how his meetings have gone with NFL teams at the Combine.

In the locker room, Young has been described as someone who "talks 24/7." He embraces the personality as a leader and someone whose energy multiplies throughout the team. He believes it grew from being the youngest of 11 siblings.

"I'm high energetic. I'm a high-character guy, I'm always laughing, talking," Young said. "You hear me before you see me."

Over the last two seasons, Young became a leader for Missouri, both with his talking and his production. He led Missouri in pressures in 2025 with 57, according to Pro Football Focus. Over his two years with the Tigers, he recorded nine total sacks.

Young started his career by spending two years at Michigan State, including one season as a starter in 2023. Young believes he had substantial growth across each of those four years, which is reflected in his production.

:Feel like when I first got to Michigan State, it was a rough start, but for the most part, I got better every year," Young said. "I worked on some every off season."

Young praised the role that Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz and edge rushers coach Brian Early played in helping him get to the point of being a potential first-round selection. He said that he viewed both coaches as a "father away from home."

"They taught me a lot," Young said of Drinkwitz and Early. "First off to prepare, the consistency in my preparation, just working hard."

After his career at Missouri, Young continued to boost his draft stock with an impressive week at the Senior Bowl. He first started to catch attention during the week of practices leading up to the pre-draft all-star game with the one-on-one reps against offensive linemen, where he showed off his power, including on one rep where he bulldozed an offensive tackle off his feet. The powerful rush was motivated by Young feeling as if the offenisve tackle didn't recognize his power on the first rep.

"I'm gonna have to run through his face," Young said of his mindset entering the viral rep. "I tried to stab club, and he didn't respect it. So I had to switch it up. I wanted to go right back. It was a couple guys right behind, and I'm like, 'No, I ain't gotta go again, I ain't gonna leave like that."

The power that Missouri’s Zion Young has shown at the Senior Bowl is terrifying. You don’t want to see him lining up across from you in a four-point stance with those bent elbows. pic.twitter.com/qCksPcbCZh
— Bobby Football (@Rob__Paul) January 29, 2026

With Young's intensity, he isn't concerned where any team wants him to line up along the line. He justs wants to be on the field.

"I'd play anything on the d-line," Young said. "I wanna play. I'd tell any coach that in America, I wanna play."