Patriots host another top-tier edge prospect on a pre-draft visit
Zion Young projects as a potential first-round selection in next month’s NFL Draft.
COLUMBIA, MO - OCTOBER 11: Missouri Tigers defensive end Zion Young (9) raises his hands to celebrate a defensive stop in the second quarter of an SEC football game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and Missouri Tigers on October 11, 2025 at Memorial Stadium in Columbia, MO. (Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images The New England Patriots are in the market for edge help in this year’s NFL Draft, and they are making sure to leave no stone unturned leading up to next month’s event. They have had confirmed pre-draft contact with 15 prospects at the position, including three who took trips to Foxborough to meet with the team.
The latest addition to that list is Missouri’s Zion Young, a potential target for the team with the 31st overall pick. Young, 22, started his four-year college career at Michigan State before transferring to Missouri in 2024. in total, he appeared in 46 games with 37 starts and registered 11.
5 sacks as well as 28. 5 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles, one recovery and an interception. He had his best season in 2025, when he earned first-team All-SEC honors.
A high-floor player at the edge, Young’s violent play style would fit well with the identity the team is trying to build on the defensive side of the ball. If indeed the team’s choice in the late first or early second round of the draft, the 6-foot-6, 262-pounder would join a group currently led by veterans Harold Landry and Dre’Mont Jones. Besides Young, the Patriots also had reported 30 visits with fellow edges R Mason Thomas (Oklahoma) and Romello Height (Texas Tech).