The Chicago Bears must do a better job of affecting the quarterback next season, particularly as they look to take the pressure off their revamped secondary. That is where a talent like Zion Young could entice the Bears.
Young would seem to fit defensive coordinator Dennis Allen’s preference for defensive linemen.
The question will be about fit in the scheme and whether Young will still be on the board when the Bears can come calling.
Bears Linked to Mizzou EDGE Zion Young
On SI’s Arye Pulli reported in a post on X on March 26 that the Bears were among the “more than 10 pre-draft visits” that Young has lined up.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein compared Young to former Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, and Minnesota Vikings pass rusher Za’Darius Smith, who has been a speculative target for the Bears in recent seasons.
Young is 6-foot-6 and weighed in at 262 pounds at the combine.
He would fit in well with a group that has Pro Bowler Montez Sweat, but has struggled with consistency opposite him.
The Bears signed Dayo Odeyingbo in free agency last offseason, but he struggled to generate a pass rush on the edge before tearing his Achilles. Former fifth-round draft pick Austin Booker is their next best pass rusher, but he is not as strong against the run.
They also tried 2025 second-round pick Shemar Turner, drafted as an interior lineman, outside.
The Bears went so far as to trade for former Tampa Bay Buccaneers first-rounder Joe Tryon-Shoyinka to address their pass rush. Young could be part of the long-term solution.
Zion Young ‘Well-Built,’ but ‘Rigid’
Young’s pre-draft profiles tell the tale of a strong-willed playmaker, which the Bears also got in his former Tigers teammate, Luther Burden III, the 39th pick of last year’s draft.
“Long, well-built edge rusher with the size, strength and temperament engineered for trench battles at the next level. Young is a fiery alpha who brings immense energy to the field and locker room. He majors in block destruction using base power and aggression to play through opponents. He extends and locks out as an edge-setter and sheds when needed, but his pursuit speed and range are average,” Zierlein wrote.
“His NFL pressure production will lag behind without better go-to moves and counters. Young’s physical tools and rugged demeanor give him a chance to be an instant run-stopping upgrade with average rush.”
The Athletic’s Dane Brugler ranked Young 39th overall and eighth among his position group.
“Young is a tad rigid as a pass rusher and doesn’t have ideal cornering speed, but he is long, strong and determined with the hand usage to force his way through blockers,” Brugler wrote in February. “Play recognition and full-extension physicality as a run defender blossomed during his senior season.”
The Bears already know what kind of teammate Young is and the kind of work ethic that he has, thanks to Burden. It would be unsurprising to see them draft him in April.