Measurables
- 6‘5 Height
- 262 lb. Weight
2025 Stats
- 53 Pressures
- 16.3% Pressure Rate
- 15 QB Hits
- 6.5 Sacks
- 2 Batted Passes
- 25 Solo Tackles
- 8 Assisted Tackles
- 6 Missed Tackles (15.4%)
- 31 Run Stops
- 2 Forced Fumbles
- 6 Penalties
Awards/Accolades
- First Team All SEC (2025)
Strengths
- Strong with long arms. Displaces blockers in the run game and has a nasty bull rush and speed to power moves.
- Hands are constantly moving and active. Shown growth in 2025 in this regard.
- Can be a 3-4 DE or a 4-3 DE with his power profile.
- Good pursuit speed, straight line running has juice.
- Violent player with a mean streak. Engine runs hot and effort is constant.
- Only 21 years old, could continue to grow as an athlete.
Weaknesses
- Not very Bendy or Flexible. Power Rusher through and through.
- Lacks quick first step.
- Needs more counters. Reliant on first move winning for quick wins or hoping power wins out with leg drive for coverage sacks.
- High Pressure Rate, but 6.5 Sacks in 2025 was career high.
- Can be penalized for his taunting and aggression. While it is an asset most plays, he is a fine risk in the NFL.
- Assault misdemeanor when at Michigan State in 2023, DWI arrest in December 2025.
Draft Projection
Round 2-3 Grade
Zion Young is a talented player with outstanding power and aggression on the field. But he is far from a finished product with his lack of counters and finesse in his game, but he still wins consistently with a straight line power bull rush that is the quickest route to the QB by collapsing the pocket. Heading into December he was in the top 40 of my initial Big Board Top 100. However a week later he was arrested for DWI and speeding after a 1:40am pullover by Missouri police.
With his intense and aggressive demeanor on the field also causing quite a few penalties and his prior assault misdemeanor charge, teams will have major questions for Zion Young’s personality, temperament, and off the field conduct. As a result, Young will be dropping from his top 40 spot and his grade will be lowered to a Round 2-3.
If Young can stay out of trouble, he will have a promising NFL future. The Colts have typically avoided players with checkered pasts, but perhaps their criteria could change in a contract year for General Manager Chris Ballard and new ownership in charge, or an investigation into Young could assuage their concerns. The Colts do need a power rusher who can set a hard edge in the run game and Young fits the bill. Should he fall in the draft, the Colts might be able to capitalize and get a value by stopping that fall. Still, the concerns about Young’s character and decision making off the field will need to be addressed by whoever takes him in the Draft, and it is hard for athletes to turn a new leaf when they start making professional money. The red flags are there, and they can be joined with yellow ones on the field.
