Ravens to Host Standout SEC Edge Defender For Pre-Draft Visit

Just because the Baltimore Ravens nearly traded for five-time Pro Bowler Maxx Crosby and quickly pivoted to signing All Pro pass rusher Trey Hendrickson in free agency, it doesn't mean they're done making notable moves and significant investments at improving on the edge of their front seven.

One of the deepest positions in the 2026 NFL Draft class is at edge defender, where teams can find pass rushers that can line up and from multiple alignments to generate pressure and wreak havoc on opposing quarterbacks of all shapes, sizes and arm length.

According to On SI's Arye Pulli, the Ravens are among 10-plus teams slated to host one of the most intriguing and gifted edge defenders in this year's loaded crop, Missouri's Zion Young.

Source: Missouri pass-rusher Zion Young has more than 10 pre-draft visits:

🏈 Bears
🏈 Buccaneers
🏈 Chargers
🏈 Dolphins
🏈 Falcons
🏈 Jets
🏈 Patriots
🏈 Ravens
🏈 Seahawks
🏈 Titans

Young is garnering significant interest, with more to be scheduled. pic.twitter.com/bmAlKsTaLY
— Arye Pulli (@AryePulliNFL) March 26, 2026

The former Tiger is projected to come off the board in the range between the late first round and early second. Taking him at No. 14 overall on Day 1 would be a major reach by the Ravens, and he'd most likely be gone before they're on the clock at No. 45 overall in the second round, so their best hopes of landing him would be to trade back into the mid-to-late 20s or trade up into the 30s early on Day 2.

Young would be an ideal fit in Baltimore

Missouri Tigers defensive end Zion Young celebrates after sacking Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin Cajuns quarterback Daniel Beale. — Sep 13, 2025; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers defensive end Zion Young (9) celebrates after sacking Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin Cajuns quarterback Daniel Beale (11) during the second half of the game at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

As exciting as the addition of Hendrickson is to the Ravens in terms of proven pass rush pedigree and production, Young fits the mold of what they have traditionally looked for in an all-around RUSH outside linebacker. At 6-foot-6 and 262 pounds with 33-inch arms, he's big and long and plays with the kind of heavy-handed physicality that they covet in their defensive trench players.

Having just turned 22 years old last week, he is nearly a decade younger than Hendrickson and already brings more to the table as an edge setter against the run, which was one of the major letdowns of the Ravens' trade for Crosby falling through. Even though they still added a premier pass rusher and got to keep their first-round picks, they missed out on getting one of the most well-rounded edge presences in the game.

With Young, the Ravens would be getting a player who would step into the league and already be an elite run defender at the position with promising pass rush upside from traditional three-point stances on the edge or inside, as well as out in a wide-nine stance with both hands in the dirt. His hand usage and punch at the point of attack are powerful, and he knows how to use his ideal length to his advantage when it comes to stacking and shedding blockers.

As a pass rusher and backside defender on run plays, his motor runs hot and doesn't stop, and his bull rush is one of the most ferocious in the entire class. He put both on display at the Panini Senior Bowl, both throughout the week of practice and carried it over into the all-star game itself, which earned him American Team Player of the Game honors after recording a pair of tackles, including a solo and recovering a fumble that he selflessly pitched to an interior defensive lineman that didn't advance much further.

Young started his college career at Michigan State, where he only recorded 2.5 sacks and 6.5 tackles for a loss in two seasons before transferring to Missouri, where his production jumped to 2.5 sacks and 5.5 tackles for loss in his junior season alone. He saved his best for last, recording career-highs with 6.5 sacks and a team-leading 16.5 tackles for loss in 2025, earning All-SEC honors as a result.

Zion Young Cut Ups https://t.co/G4wpBU74fD pic.twitter.com/iQYAe88fP2
— jeremiah🐦‍⬛ (@NewEraMiah) January 30, 2026

The Atlanta, Georgia native is just scratching the surface of his potential as a pass rusher and would be a great addition to the Ravens' outside linebacker depth chart alongside Hendrickson, second-year pro Mike Green, third-year pro Adisa Isaac and fourth-year pro Tavius Robinson, who is heading into the final year of his rookie deal. If he falls to them in the second round, it would be an absolute steal, and if they trade back and still land him, that'd be a great pickup and would add to their arsenal of draft capital.

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