Zion Young is a three-point edge defender out of Missouri whose physical profile sits at the top of this class. At 6’5″ and 265 pounds with the speed, flexibility and power to match, he offers a combination that genuinely has no peer in this edge group.

His strength is the most arresting quality on tape. He absorbs blows from guards throughout a game without slowing; Oklahoma’s left guard hit him square and with force on multiple occasions and Young did not change trajectory. When he was doubled on the edge by Oklahoma’s guard and tackle he clubbed the tackle hard enough to knock him over while simultaneously absorbing a rib shot from the guard and still stumbled his way to a pressure after the throw. His push-pull work against Chase Bisontis was a staggering display of physicality for the level, the kind of rep that makes a scout stop rewinding. His movement mechanics never look laboured regardless of what he is being asked to do, and his production in the SEC backs the eye test: 57 pressures, 8 sacks, 25 tackles and 31 run stops against one of the most demanding schedules in college football.

That strength is dynamic rather than static, and the distinction matters; he generates force through movement and momentum and is not resilient in the same way when blockers who are bigger than him can get into him cleanly and displace him. He needs room to operate and does not appear to enjoy the phone booth; in tight quarters where momentum is unavailable and the rep is purely a drive block contest, his effort and output both dip.

His footwork and foot speed are the other limitations worth flagging. They cost him on stunts and loops where timing and quickness off the snap are the whole game, and his finishing is a recurring theme across the tape; he consistently gets close to big plays but finds himself a step short of closing the distance when it matters most.

There is also an off-field note that will register with teams doing due diligence: a DUI and speeding citation from December 2025 is a red flag that will require a direct conversation at the interview stage. His character on the field is not in question, but the incident is real and teams will factor it into their evaluation.