Zion Young ready to cause ‘train wrecks’ for Ravens

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Defensive end Zion Young of Missouri is a self-proclaimed “hell raiser,” according to his bio on X, which has been the same since 11th grade.

His new head coach, Jesse Minter, said he causes “train wrecks” — but in the best way.

“He plays extremely hard and plays extremely physical,” Minter said after the Ravens selected Young in the second round with pick No. 45 of the NFL draft Friday night. “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 showed the Ravens Flock a glimpse of the fire he can bring off the field as he held his first news conference. Logging on with his shades and a crooked hat, he pumped his first with a big grin and emphasized he was fired up almost a dozen times.

He brought humor and zest, paired with a true joy at the prospect of being a Raven.

They fit his playing style — “From a ‘young’un,’ I was always taught ‘smash-mouth’ football,” he said — and he already knows a version of the Ravens’ mantra from last year.

“It was always stopping the run, and then pass follow-up” is his version of the “stop the run and then have fun” that Baltimore pass rushers would quote last year.

At Mizzou, he stopped the run enough to rush the passer quite a lot. After accumulating just five sacks over his first three seasons, he finished 2025 with 6.5 sacks and 17 quarterback hurries.

“I thought he made major improvements this year as a pass rusher, something he took a lot of pride in this year, improving in that area,” Minter said. “I do think he has the ability to rush up and down the line. So he has some versatility there, particularly as you get into third down, and you want to put different guys in different spots.”

Minter brought with him a new coaching staff, but the goal on defense remains the same.

“He really fits what we want to be on defense,” general manger Eric DeCosta said.

Young has a pending driving while impaired charge in Missouri, but DeCosta said the Ravens are comfortable with the information they gathered during the draft process. Young was driving 64 mph in a 50 mph zone, according to reports, and the officer said he smelled alcohol. Young did not take any field sobriety tests but had blood drawn. The blood alcohol content level was not released.

Missouri decided to let him play in the bowl game after the arrest. Young was also team captain, an honor he said meant a lot to him.

“It says a lot about how my team viewed me,” Young said. “... At the end of the day, I have to lead by example.”

Young was already a fan of Baltimore for the way the team played. He was also a fan because his childhood friend cornerback Nate Wiggins is on the team. But, during the draft process, he came to admire the Ravens more through his interactions with them.

“I enjoyed the whole Ravens staff. ... I enjoyed everybody. The guys I met in the locker room, the food I ate – I enjoyed those guys," Young said. “I was fired up being there, and I’m fired up about everything.”

Wiggins is fired up, too, if the barrage of texts DeCosta received is anything to go by.

“We spoke a little bit about Clemson guys, but I wasn’t even aware of the connection between Zion and Nate,” DeCosta said. “But I did certainly hear from Nate after the pick. ... He’s super excited. So it’s great when you get that excitement from your players about players that you’re bringing in.”