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philibusters
The 1st Round Pick
I watched Zion Young, the 6'6 262-pound defensive end out of Missouri, against Oklahoma and Alabama. It was a lot of pro-on-pro in those games. Against Oklahoma he saw multiple snaps against Michael Fasusi, a likely future first-rounder (though he was a freshman so he won’t be eligible until 2028), and against Alabama he faced Kadyn Proctor, along with some reps against the right guard in both games. Overall he looks like a good base end — a very good run defender who gives you something as a pass rusher, but is clearly stronger against the run.
As a pass rusher, both Fasusi and Proctor generally got the better of him. Fasusi had a nice snatch rep that put him on the ground, and while Young occasionally attached to the outside shoulder and generated some push, he didn’t get quick wins against those top tackles. He had a little bit of success against Proctor than Fasusi ( a good speed to power rep, a nice club rip that became a pressure), but overall Proctor limited him. He had more success against the right tackles in both games, though those players are probably not future NFL players. Young has some linear explosiveness but he’s stiff in the hips and ankles and only has average knee bend, which limits his ability to flatten and finish when attacking the edge. He likes to work speed-to-power on the outside shoulder, but because he struggles to corner it often turns into pocket push rather than pressure. He lacks the lateral quickness for consistent inside counters and his rush often feels like speed-to-power first and then reacting rather than executing a true plan. He did flash a cross chop, club rip, and a couple small hump moves, but the move sequencing isn’t consistently there yet.
As a run defender, he was very good. He has the physicality needed to be a strong edge defender and held up well against Fasusi, Proctor, and the other tackles. He can stack and shed, set a firm edge, and his hands are violent — there were several snaps where the blocker’s head snapped back on contact. He takes on pullers willingly, both in split zone and against pulling guards, and he’s comfortable initiating contact. His height can sometimes cost him leverage against shorter linemen, but he’s strong enough that he’s still difficult to move. He’s not a great tackler in space because of the stiffness, but within the structure of the defense he was very effective. No one was able to scoop him out in these games, and he even crossed a tackle’s face once on a run despite a fan block attempt.
From a value standpoint it’s interesting to compare him to Gabe Jacas and Keldric Faulk. All three are very good run defenders with limitations as pass rushers. Faulk is around 17 on the consensus board, Zion Young around 37, and Jacas around 58. Jacas was actually my favorite of the three despite being ranked lowest — his shorter height (around 6'2) and better knee bend give him natural leverage and he showed the most developed pass rush plan. Faulk is ranked highest largely because of his size and perceived athletic upside and made a lot of splash plays in the run game, though in the two games I watched he was more projection than production as a pass rusher. Young sits somewhere in the middle — a reliable run defender with some pass rush ability, though not a true high-end rusher. Faulk also showed more positional versatility, lining up inside, at 4i, and at 5 technique, whereas Young is more of a pure edge. It’s also hard to see Young making it to 71. In a stronger draft you might hope a solid base end with some pass rush ability would still be there at that point, but in this class I doubt he lasts that long.
As a pass rusher, both Fasusi and Proctor generally got the better of him. Fasusi had a nice snatch rep that put him on the ground, and while Young occasionally attached to the outside shoulder and generated some push, he didn’t get quick wins against those top tackles. He had a little bit of success against Proctor than Fasusi ( a good speed to power rep, a nice club rip that became a pressure), but overall Proctor limited him. He had more success against the right tackles in both games, though those players are probably not future NFL players. Young has some linear explosiveness but he’s stiff in the hips and ankles and only has average knee bend, which limits his ability to flatten and finish when attacking the edge. He likes to work speed-to-power on the outside shoulder, but because he struggles to corner it often turns into pocket push rather than pressure. He lacks the lateral quickness for consistent inside counters and his rush often feels like speed-to-power first and then reacting rather than executing a true plan. He did flash a cross chop, club rip, and a couple small hump moves, but the move sequencing isn’t consistently there yet.
As a run defender, he was very good. He has the physicality needed to be a strong edge defender and held up well against Fasusi, Proctor, and the other tackles. He can stack and shed, set a firm edge, and his hands are violent — there were several snaps where the blocker’s head snapped back on contact. He takes on pullers willingly, both in split zone and against pulling guards, and he’s comfortable initiating contact. His height can sometimes cost him leverage against shorter linemen, but he’s strong enough that he’s still difficult to move. He’s not a great tackler in space because of the stiffness, but within the structure of the defense he was very effective. No one was able to scoop him out in these games, and he even crossed a tackle’s face once on a run despite a fan block attempt.
From a value standpoint it’s interesting to compare him to Gabe Jacas and Keldric Faulk. All three are very good run defenders with limitations as pass rushers. Faulk is around 17 on the consensus board, Zion Young around 37, and Jacas around 58. Jacas was actually my favorite of the three despite being ranked lowest — his shorter height (around 6'2) and better knee bend give him natural leverage and he showed the most developed pass rush plan. Faulk is ranked highest largely because of his size and perceived athletic upside and made a lot of splash plays in the run game, though in the two games I watched he was more projection than production as a pass rusher. Young sits somewhere in the middle — a reliable run defender with some pass rush ability, though not a true high-end rusher. Faulk also showed more positional versatility, lining up inside, at 4i, and at 5 technique, whereas Young is more of a pure edge. It’s also hard to see Young making it to 71. In a stronger draft you might hope a solid base end with some pass rush ability would still be there at that point, but in this class I doubt he lasts that long.
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