The Chicago Bears have long been one of the teams expected to look hard at edge rushers in the upcoming 2026 NFL draft. Outside of Montez Sweat, nobody has really emerged as a legitimate presence that offenses must respect. Austin Booker continues to show flashes, but he’s not there yet. Chicago’s pass rush was underwhelming too often last season. That can’t continue. However, they’ve been curiously silent on the lead-up to the draft, including meetings with possible 1st-round options. The only edge rusher they’ve brought in for a visit is Mikail Kamara of Indiana. That finally changed with a report that Missouri defensive Zion Young will be coming in soon.
If you asked which players in this draft class might draw the most attention from Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen as a target for edge rusher, the signs always pointed to Young. We know Allen likes his edge rushers big, long, and powerful. Think Cameron Jordan and Carl Granderson in New Orleans. Few players fit that profile better than Young. He’s 6’6″, 262 lbs, and has 33-inch arms. The dimensions are there, as is the knock-back power and ability to stop the run.
Zion Young appears to be peaking at the right time.
Throughout his first three years of college, he was known mostly as a solid run defender with limited pass rush skill. Things opened up a little for him last season, collecting 6.5 sacks and a whopping 16.5 tackles for a loss. He was much better at finding ways past offensive tackles. The core issue with him is his overall lack of bend and average explosiveness. This isn’t somebody who will consistently beat blockers around the edge. He will overwhelm them with power, violence, and a non-stop motor.
| Metric | Michigan State (2 yrs) | Missouri (2 yrs) | Career Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Games Played | 20 | 26 | 46 |
| Total Tackles | 47 | 84 | 131 |
| Tackles for Loss | 6.5 | 22.0 | 28.5 |
| Sacks | 2.5 | 9.0 | 11.5 |
| Forced Fumbles | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Fumble Recoveries | 0 | 2 | 2 |
Ironically, a notable comparison for him is Cam Jordan. They have similar body types and play styles. Jordan also wasn’t much of a sack guy in college. He never had more than six in any of his seasons as a starter for Cal. That offers hope that with more polish to his technique, Young will emerge as a much better pass rusher in the pros as Jordan did. His domination at the Senior Bowl offered further evidence that it’s trending in that direction.
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There is a noteworthy wrinkle to this.
Last year, the Bears did not draft any of their top 30 visits. That was a significant departure from previous years. Offensive line coach Dan Roushar recently said in an interview that the team now uses those visits to learn more about players they’re not sure about. It is possible they wish to gauge his work ethic and intelligence. Those are the two key factors in determining if his game will reach the next level. Zion Young has the talent, but so have many failed 1st round pass rushers.
It’s the willingness to grind that separates the good ones from everybody else. The Bears might be curious why Young’s game isn’t more polished by this point. Why did it take him so long to have a good season? These are important questions. How Young responds may well determine whether his name gets called at the 25th pick next month.
