Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles has already covered most of their bases in terms of filling needs, though several positions on the roster could still use additional attention. That is particularly true on defense, where Zion Young is gaining traction as a speculative fit for the Bears.
Chicago’s pass rush was among the worst in the league last season. It was part of why their slow foot speed in the secondary showed so frequently.
The Bears feel as though they got faster on the back end. Young could help up front.
Former NFL DB Suggests Bears Fit for Zion Young
Bears’ Interest in Zion Young Could Prove Telling
Young spent two seasons at Missouri, including in 2024. Young was a teammate of former Tigers star receiver and 2025 Bears second-round pick Luther Burden III that season. Burden is primed for a breakout role in Year 2 under head coach Ben Johnson, and he could be a fitting liaison after returning to his old stomping grounds recently.
ESPN’s Matt Bowen listed Young to the Bears among his “favorite” potential draft fits, seeking the “best player-to-team matches.”
“After signing three defensive tackles in free agency, the Bears can look to the edges of their front by taking Young to play opposite Montez Sweat. With his long frame, Young fits the profile of the defensive ends in coordinator Dennis Allen’s system,” Bowen wrote on March 31.
“Young has the play strength and tackling range to set the edges versus the run game, which would upgrade a defense that allowed 5.0 yards per carry last season (fourth most in the NFL). Young also has the physical traits to develop as a speed-to-power pass rusher; he had 6.5 sacks and 43 pressures in 2025.”
Bowen, a former sixth-round pick of the then-St. Louis Rams in the 2000 NFL Draft, is not alone in his assessment. The Bears see Young’s potential fit, too.
The Bears have a meeting set up with Young.
Bears Moving on Zion Young
“Source: Missouri pass-rusher Zion Young has more than 10 pre-draft visits,” On SI’s Arye Pulli reported in a post on X on March 26. “Young is garnering significant interest, with more to be scheduled.”
The Ringer’s Todd McShay called Young “one of the most underrated and overshadowed prospects in this class.” McShay added that Young is “a plug-and-play starter at edge.”
Young’s athleticism could limit his ceiling to the second tier in the class.
“Young lacks ideal athleticism, but he’s a long, powerful edge with elite snap anticipation and solid takeoff burst,” McShay wrote in his pre-draft evaluation. “Young is an elite run defender who sets a damn hard edge and has no trouble stonewalling bigger opponents.”
McShay also noted Young’s DWI arrest from December 2025 that the Bears will need to vet. They have already shown at least a preliminary interest.
Young would join a group that includes recent draft picks Austin Booker and, potentially, Shemar Turner. The Bears also have 2025 free agent signing Dayo Odeyingbo.
