Baltimore Ravens rookie Zion Young is already impressing at rookie mini camp.
The Baltimore Ravens are engaging in their rookie mini camp, which began on Friday and will continue through Saturday. Though the day is full of physicals, paperwork, and more, it is also the first time that coaches get a chance to set their eyes on their new stock of rookie talent.
During the rookies' first practice, much was noticed about defensive end Zion Young. Per Ryan Mink of the Ravens' official site, Young showed plenty of flashes of his play style, including the kind of teammate he may be.
"Young's frame reminds me of Jason Pierre-Paul, who spent much of the 2022 season in Baltimore. They're the same height at 6-foot-5, and Young (262 pounds) is about the same weight as Pierre-Paul was coming out of college. Young jumps out on the field," Mink said.
Every rookie player will always garner player comps, but being compared to Jason Pierre-Paul is certainly a good thing. Paul played for the Ravens during the 2022 season, but he also garnered an All-Pro nod and three Pro Bowl nods as well.
Young apparently has a similar frame but also has the kind of movement that makes his pass rush skills immediately noticeable. Mink also indicated that he got a nice play off and got into the backfield.
"On one of the first 11-on-11 plays of practice, Young burst upfield to push a run into the backfield, showing the kind of physical presence he'll be coming off the edge," Mink said.
An even more impressive aspect of seeing Young in action is the fact that he celebrated during a play. Mink noticed the young edge player cheer from across the field when a linebacker pulled off an interception in a 7-on-7 drill.
While cheering during a play may not seem like a big deal, the fact that Young is celebrating with his team on a basic practice drill is a good sign. Teams melding with one another and celebrating victories show the kind of team-first mentality that is needed.
Young is one of the prospects that the NFL world continues to talk about, especially as he fell to the Ravens at No. 45 overall. He could be a huge aspect of the pass rush and run game for the defense, while refining his skills alongside Trey Hendrickson and now defensive tackle Calais Campbell.
A simple practice is not indicative of how Young will turn out, and players won't truly get to shine until pads are on during training camp. Still, the young edge already turning heads in any small ways bodes well for the Baltimore defense.