Zion Young

Zion Young is the youngest of 11 children, grew up in Atlanta, and attended Westlake High School — the same program that produced Ravens cornerback Nate Wiggins, who was drafted in Round 1 a year earlier. The two are now teammates in Baltimore, reuniting a connection that started in Atlanta. Young chose Michigan State out of high school, spent two seasons in East Lansing, then transferred to Missouri for 2024 and 2025. At the 2026 Senior Bowl he dominated and cemented his status as a top edge rusher, earning a first-round grade from the Ravens even though they got him at pick 45. Head coach Jesse Minter called him "one of the most complete outside linebackers in the draft."

Young transferred from Michigan State to Missouri after his sophomore season. At Mizzou he found a defensive scheme that used him more creatively — getting him off the edge, into stunts, playing him on both sides of the formation. His 2025 season was a breakout: 8.5 sacks, 12 TFLs, First-Team All-SEC. He was the SEC's most productive edge rusher by the end of the year and the dominant player at the Senior Bowl in January 2026, where he introduced himself to every NFL team's scouting staff at once.

Nate Wiggins, who grew up at the same Westlake High School in Atlanta, was drafted by the Ravens in Round 1 of the 2024 NFL Draft. Young joins him in Baltimore two years later. The Ravens now have two players from the same Atlanta high school on their roster — and Westlake is quickly becoming one of the most NFL-productive programs in Georgia.