Eric Decosta's Ravens add Zion Young for 2026 edge battle
eric decosta’s Ravens added a second-round edge rusher in Zion Young, and the move puts Tavius Robinson in real danger of losing his starting job on the edge. Baltimore now has a clearer camp battle than it did before the 2026 NFL Draft, with a rookie who could push for snaps immediately.
Zion Young enters the edge race
Young is competing with Robinson and Mike Green for edge snaps in Baltimore. The rookie arrives with a path to the field because the article says he could begin the 2026 season as a full-time starter.
Jesse Minter described Young as a force against the run. “He’s very powerful in the run game, meaning, when he strikes blocks, they go the other way,” Minter said. “When people pull on him and he strikes them, it’s a train wreck.”
Minter also pointed to growth as a pass rusher. “Also, I thought he made major improvements this year as a pass rusher,” he said. That combination gives Young a different profile from a rookie who needs time to settle in.
Tavius Robinson’s hold
Robinson has started 17 games since entering the NFL in 2023, so this is not a development about depth alone. He is the veteran most directly exposed if Young wins early-down work and starts taking more snaps.
Green adds another layer to the rotation. He played over 700 snaps during the 2025 season and started one game, which means Baltimore already has another edge option with a meaningful workload on the résumé.
Baltimore’s camp battle
The edge is the biggest training camp battle on defense because one spot is already locked down. That leaves the other side open for a direct competition between Robinson, Green and the rookie who just arrived in the second round.
Baltimore also used the 2026 NFL Draft to fortify the line with Olaivavega Ioane in the first round, and he should immediately become the new starter at left guard. With Jesse Minter taking over play-calling duties on defense, the rotation on the edge may be one of the first places the Ravens show their new structure.
For Robinson, that means his most familiar role is the one under pressure. For Young, the opening is simple: win the run-game snaps, keep building as a pass rusher, and make the Ravens treat a second-round pick like a starter before the season gets moving.
