Zion Young's 'train wreck' play style will boost the Ravens' defense

Zion Young Adds “Train Wreck” Physicality to Ravens Edge Room

When Jesse Minter talks about edge defenders, it usually comes back to traits, and in Zion Young's case, the traits are obvious, physical, and disruptive.

"Zion [Young] is a rugged, tough, physical player. I think he's just scratching the surface of what he can be as a player. I think there's a ton of upside there. I love his play style. He plays extremely hard and plays extremely physical. He’s very powerful in the run game, meaning, when he strikes blocks, they go the other way. When people pull on him and he strikes him, it's a train wreck. He's also proven to be – I thought he made major improvements this year as a pass rusher, something he took a lot of pride in this year, improving in that area. I do think he has the ability to rush up and down the line. So, he has some versatility there, particularly as you get into third down, and you want to put different guys in different spots. You want to have different types of rushers, and you look at that room now – that's a really versatile room that I couldn't be more excited about. Same thing with the receiver room when you talk about Ja’Kobi [Lane], you want guys that have different traits, different types of matchups. Look at the DB room [and] the receiver room, you just want different types of guys. You don't want everybody to be the same. So, when you look at the guys we picked up, they fit what we're trying to do. “

For Jesse Minter, adding a player like Zion Young is about more than just production — it's about building a versatile, physical defense that can adapt in any situation in the AFC North. Young's ability to impact the run game while continuing to develop as a pass rusher gives the Ravens another dynamic and versatile piece up front. Combined with a mix of skill sets across the roster, his presence reinforces the team's goal of creating matchup advantages and maintaining a deep, interchangeable defensive front.

For Baltimore, Young isn't a finished product; he's a traits-based bet in a system built to maximize exactly that kind of player.

This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: Ravens DC Jesse Minter sees big upside in Zion Young