Baltimore Ravens defensive lineman Zion Young will play his first NFL game Saturday night when the Ravens host the Philadelphia Eagles at M&T Bank Stadium. Baltimore plans to sit its established starters, opening up extended snaps for younger players competing for rotation spots.
The Ravens selected Young with the 45th overall pick in the draft. According to Ravens Wire, the organization considered trading up to secure him, reflecting how much they value his size, power, and physicality.
Young comes out of Missouri, where he recorded 6.5 sacks, 16.5 tackles for loss, and 17 quarterback hurries in his final season. His pass-rush approach relies on long arms, power, and a relentless motor rather than pure speed off the edge. The Ravens have already begun experimenting with him inside during passing situations, where his ability to overpower guards and collapse the pocket could free up Baltimore's quicker edge rushers.
During organized team activities, Young showed flashes of that potential. He used an interior power rush to generate pressure, defeated a blocker to disrupt a screen, and tipped a pass at the line of scrimmage. Defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver said Young was "as good as advertised" after watching his physicality show up even before the team put on pads.
Saturday's opponent offers a useful evaluation opportunity. The Eagles will be playing extended snaps with their own reserve linemen, including rookie right tackle Markel Bell, Cameron Williams, and John Ojukwu. Those players will be going through their own evaluations, which could create favorable matchups for Young to work against.
A standout performance is not required for the night to count as a success. Consistent pocket pressure, forcing quarterbacks off their spot, and creating openings for teammates would be enough to demonstrate that Young can contribute to the Ravens' pass-rush rotation in year one.
