Draft month, finally, has arrived.
Continuing our series, which began earlier this month and will run until the 2026 NFL Draft begins on April 23, The Detroit News will spotlight one prospect a day who could be a first-round fit for the Detroit Lions, who own the 17th overall pick. Assuming the Lions don’t trade out, it’ll be their highest selection since running back Jahmyr Gibbs went No. 12 in 2023.
Today’s focus is on Missouri defensive end Zion Young.
Zion Young stats
12th in pressures (57), 24th in tackles-for-loss (16 ½) across FBS edge defenders in 2025
11 ½ sacks across four college seasons for Michigan State and Missouri (46 appearances)
No. 37 in 2026 NFL Draft consensus ranking (via NFL Mock Draft Database)
Zion Young career background
Young committed to Michigan State’s Class of 2022 as a three-star prospect out of Westlake High School in Atlanta. He was the No. 145-ranked defensive lineman in the country and the No. 103-ranked prospect in Georgia.
Young appeared in eight games as a freshman and made an impact as a rotational player, picking up one sack with two tackles-for-loss and 21 total tackles. He missed the season’s final four games after being suspended for his role in a postgame altercation at Michigan Stadium.
The following year, Young returned to the Spartans and began showing glimpses of the player he’d eventually become. He finished with 25 pressures (compared to four the previous season), a massive leap, even if it only resulted in an extra half-sack. He had 26 combined tackles with 4 ½ tackles-for-loss and 1 ½ sacks.
Following the scandal involving former Michigan State coach Mel Tucker, Young transferred to Missouri. He started all 13 games for the Tigers in 2024 and totaled 28 total tackles with 2 ½ sacks on 26 pressures and 4 ½ tackles-for-loss.
Young, who was named a team captain before his senior season, saved his best for last. He put his name firmly on the map with a 6 ½-sack season in which he finished 12th among all FBS players in pressures (57) and 24th in tackles-for-loss (16 ½). He had two forced fumbles and a pair of pass deflections. He finished First-Team All-SEC.
Prior to Missouri’s appearance in the Gator Bowl against Virginia, Young was arrested and charged on suspicion of DWI, speeding, and failing to properly affix his license plate to his vehicle. Young played in the bowl game and had four pressures and four tackles, including 1 ½ for loss. Missouri won, 13-7.
Young put the Missouri helmet on one last time at the annual Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, where he was one of the standout players from the week of practices.
Zion Young NFL Draft analysis
Young is a powerful edge defender with an NFL-ready frame (6-foot-5, 262 pounds) who excels against the run and is a work-in-progress rushing the passer. Most projections have him going very late in the first round or sometime in the second, but his high floor as a run defender could lend itself to going earlier than expected, including to the Lions at pick No. 17.
While some fans might flinch at his pass-rushing projection at the next level, he possesses a skill set that is likely attractive to Detroit. The Lions’ defense has long emphasized stopping the run, which it has generally done very well over the last few seasons (save for a few late-season examples in 2025). Young terrorizes offensive coordinators who think he can be stopped by tight ends in the run game; he displaces them immediately and works his way into the backfield. His motor is relentless, evident in his pursuit of the ball carrier once he gets past his blocks.
As a pass rusher, his best move is his bull rush, allowing him to drive back blockers to help collapse the pocket around the quarterback — the exact type of early-down rusher Detroit has looked to pair with Aidan Hutchinson in recent seasons. There is a path for Young to improve his pass-rushing consistency. His hands are heavy, but lack detail. He can also make great strides by fixing his pad level, which was often his Achilles heel throughout his college career. Other areas. such as his get-off, might not have as straightforward a path to improvement.
Compared to some other potential first-round prospects we’ve profiled, Young’s testing numbers don’t necessarily jump off the page, but they’re not overly concerning, either. He had a subpar 31-inch vertical jump (46th percentile) and finished 71st percentile in the broad jump (9 feet, 9 inches) and 80th percentile in the 40-yard dash (4.75 seconds) with a mediocre 10-yard split (1.72 seconds, 38th percentile).
Despite a few off-the-field incidents on his resume, Young has been consistently praised for his high energy and effort on the field, which trickles down through the rest of the locker room.
While the Lions could make Young their selection at pick No. 17 — we certainly wouldn’t put it past them to draft a player who ranks lower on the consensus board in Round 1 — we’ll have to wait and see whether the rest of the league believes he’s a first-round prospect.
Previous profiles
Clemson cornerback Avieon Terrell
Miami defensive end Rueben Bain Jr.
Georgia linebacker CJ Allen
Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq
Clemson defensive end T.J. Parker
Georgia offensive tackle Monroe Freeling
Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman
Texas Tech edge defender David Bailey
Arizona State offensive tackle Max Iheanachor
Ohio State safety Caleb Downs
Penn State guard Vega Ioane
Auburn defensive lineman Keldric Faulk
Utah offensive lineman Spencer Fano
Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy
Alabama offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor
Miami edge defender Akheem Mesidor
nbianchi@detroitnews.com
@nolanbianchi
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Lions, ex-MSU defender Zion Young, could be draft match
Reporting by Nolan Bianchi, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
