Missouri edge rusher Zion Young fits the Ravens' pass rush plans

The Baltimore Ravens have never been afraid to bet on traits. It's part of their DNA. They've built championship-caliber defenses by identifying upside. They trust their developmental process. They let their coaching staff do the rest. More often than not, they hit home runs. Sometimes, the process works beautifully. Sometimes, things take longer than expected. That brings us to Mike Green. When the Ravens acquired him as a second-round selection, the vision was clear. There was hope he would bring immediate explosiveness off the edge and, hopefully, developmental upside.

Green was supposed to be a player who could eventually become a disruptive presence in their pass-rush rotation. The traits were there. The flashes were seen. The consistency, however, didn't follow quickly enough. That doesn't mean the plan was wrong, nor that the evaluation was. It just means the timeline hasn't matched the need.

Now, let's get a few things straight. Though Mike Green got off to a slow start, he's probably going to have a solid career. No one is stating he can't ball. Nothing would be further from the truth. Much is again expected of him in his second season.

But this draft class may have several prospects who are, in a word, better. Enter Zion Young. As was the case this time last year, the Ravens need to strengthen their pass rush, and Green is easily among one of the best EDGE options they'll have available.

Might the Ravens find Mike Green's ceiling in Zion Young?

Here's the obligatory disclaimer. Fans and the media should always tread lightly when placing an NFL player a notch lower than an NCAA prospect who hasn't played a down at football's highest level, but this may be one of those exceptions. If you’re looking for a prospect who checks similar boxes as Green, Young's name rises quickly. Young brings length, burst, and the kind of closing speed that immediately translates to pressure opportunities. Like Green, he’s not a finished product. Unlike Green, there's a growing sense that his game is already a step further along.

So, let's state this bluntly. Young might already be the player that Baltimore hopes Mike Green becomes. The former isn't just another edge rusher in a deep draft class. He represents something more specific for Baltimore. He feels like a chance to revisit an idea that hasn't fully materialized yet.

No disrespect to Green, but Young may already be better equipped to deliver on the potential the Ravens and other interested parties are seeing. Let's say he's the choice at 45. He'd be an impact day-one playmaker, and frankly, the Ravens need that.

Trey Hendrickson gives them a proven presence, but he can't be the only answer. The rest of the room still feels like it’s searching for consistency. Baltimore doesn't just need bodies off the edge. They need someone who can win, someone who can tilt the pocket and force offenses to adjust. Young has that kind of upside, and maybe more importantly, he fits the timeline. This is a team that doesn’t want to wait forever on development. They’re trying to contend now while still building for the future. That balance is delicate, and it requires hitting on players who can contribute sooner rather than later.

Pro Football Focus, on its draft board, stacks Young as the seventh-best edge rusher and the 40th-ranked player in this draft class overall. While Green was named the Sun Belt Player of the Year and a First-team All-American in 2024, Young shone against better talent.

Playing in the Sun Belt Conference won't bring the same level of competition players see week to week in the mighty SEC. If the board breaks the right way and Young is available when Baltimore is on the clock, the decision might be simpler than it looks. This wouldn't be about replacing Mike Green. It would be about reinforcing the original vision, because sometimes the best way to fix a bet that hasn't paid off yet is to make another that's just as smart, or even wiser.

This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: Zion Young and Trey Hendrickson could boost Ravens' pass rush