Four Tigers Selected on Second Day of 2026 NFL Draft
4/24/2026 9:56:00 PM | Football
PITTSBURGH – Four Missouri Tigers heard their names called on the second day of the 2026 NFL Draft Friday night in Pittsburgh.
Defensive end Zion Young and linebacker Josiah Trotter were selected back-to-back in the second round with the 45th and 46th picks, respectively. The Baltimore Ravens took Young with the Buccaneers selecting Trotter. The third round saw defensive tackle Chris McClellan taken by Green Bay with the 77th overall pick before Keagen Trost went to the Los Angeles Rams with the 93rd overall selection.
The four Tigers selected in the top 100 picks of the 2026 NFL Draft matches Mizzou's 2009 draft for the most in school history when Jeremy Macklin (19), Ziggy Hood (32), William Moore (55) and Chase Coffman (98) were all taken in the first 100 selections.
The back-to-back selections of Young and Trotter marked just the second time Mizzou teammates have been drafted with consecutive picks and the first time since 1981 when Billy Whitaker and Ron Fellows were taken in the seventh round.
Young, a native of Atlanta, was the physical and emotional leader of one of the nation's best defenses in 2025. A first team All-SEC selection by league coaches, he led the team and ranked 14th nationally with 1.27 tackles for loss per game (16.5). Young finished with 42 total tackles as a senior, including 20 solo, 6.5 sacks, a team-leading 14 hurries, two forced fumbles and two pass breakups on the season.
Trotter was an instant-impact transfer from West Virginia, who started 12 games for the Tigers in 2025, earning first team All-SEC by league coaches. He led the team and ranked seventh in the SEC with 84 total tackles (43 solo) while adding 13.0 (-41 yards) tackles for loss. He anchored a defense that ranked eighth nationally in total defense (277.3 YPG), eighth in first downs defense (205), 13th in rushing defense (103.8 YPG), and 17th in scoring defense (18.9 PPG).
McClellan, from Tulsa, Okla., anchored the interior of Mizzou's disruptive defensive line. He earned second team All-SEC from the Associated Press after finishing his senior season with 48 tackles, including 15 solo stops, eight tackles for loss (-47 yards), six sacks and six quarterback hurries.
Trost, a Wake Forest transfer, shined at right tackle for the Tigers, earning first team All-America honors by Pro Football Focus and second team accolades from Walter Camp. Trost opened holes for the nation's No. 8 rushing offense (228.3 YPG) while the Tigers ranked 30th nationally in converting third downs at a 44.9 percent clip. He was the top-graded offensive lineman nationally by Pro Football Focus with an overall offensive grade of 91.5.
With the first three rounds of the NFL Draft complete, rounds 4-7 will begin at 11 a.m. CT Saturday and will be broadcast on the NFL Network, ESPN, ABC, and ESPN Deportes will provide live coverage. Online coverage will be available at NFL.com/Watch.
FOLLOW THE TIGERS
For all the latest information on Mizzou Athletics, please visit MUTigers.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow Missouri football (@MizzouFootball) and Coach Drinkwitz (@CoachDrinkwitz) on X. You can also find the Tigers on Instagram and Facebook.
