The Baltimore Ravens needed energy on defense. Well, they got that. They selected Zion Young at No. 45 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft, adding what will be one of the final pass rush pieces to Jesse Minter’s defense.
Young doesn’t necessarily bring it in the sack department. Over 46 collegiate games, he accumulated just 11.5 sacks. Of course, he will develop there, but that’s where he stands as a pass rusher right now.
Where Young does bring it, though, is as a fierce defender who will do everything to take the joy of football out of the opponent’s souls. He does the dirty work, talks smack, and plays like a WWE wrestler in the ruthless aggression era. That’s exactly what this Ravens team needed.
This viral clip from his time at Missouri shows he’s a straight competitor. (warning: foul language).
Ravens fans are loving this.
Baltimore Ravens’ Zion Young selection has already won fans over
The Ravens didn’t really have any sort of energy on the defensive side in 2025. Kyle Hamilton brought it when his moment came, but in terms of the defensive line, it was extremely lackluster. There was so much inconsistency in that area.
That is set to change with the addition of Young. As evident in the clip mentioned above, he’s going to talk trash every chance he gets. As an uber-talented run defender, that’s the exact type of mentality that you need. He does the dirty work, runs through your face, and will certainly let you hear about it after. Heck, he'll probably be in your ear until the clock hits zero.
Sure, that trash talk isn’t guaranteed to translate into production, but production isn’t the only thing that Baltimore needed. They needed some life and energy. Young brings that both on the field and in the locker room. That stuff is contagious, and could help the defense bounce back and regain its footing after a horrendous 2025 campaign.
This offseason, Baltimore has noted tirelessly that they’re looking to bring back the old Ravens way on defense. They used to be bullies, but they’ve softened up. Everyone knows it, too. NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah said that they need to get back to that mentality, and Young will undoubtedly play a part in bringing it back.
When you ask most Baltimore Ravens fans about defense, they’ll think of Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Terrell Suggs, and Haloti Ngata as the statement-making guys. Shoot, you could even say Courtney Upshaw was a guy who would set the tone (maybe not in terms of talent, but in terms of his trash-talking and that physical, every play is do-or-die mentality). And that’s kind of what this team is getting in Zion Young. His mindset and play on the field have the chance to shift the momentum and demeanor of the team heading into 2026.
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