It's been an exciting few weeks for Mizzou fans, and not just because the weather is finally warming up. Two former Tigers are already making waves in the NFL after being selected back-to-back in the second round of the draft. Zion Young landed with the Baltimore Ravens, while Josiah Trotter joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers—and early returns suggest both are well on their way to making an impact.

While it's no shock that teams are buzzing about high-round picks, what's turning heads is how quickly these two are settling in. Trotter, in particular, has drawn praise from Tampa Bay's Vice President of Player Personnel, Mike Biehl, who pushed back on any doubts about his coverage skills. "I think that's a little bit of a misnomer," Biehl said. "He's actually pretty good at it. That being said, he's an old school, downhill MIKE [linebacker] that can play the run—which is hard to find nowadays. With the college game shifting to all lateral speed, he brings a physical presence. He has enough speed to play in our league, and we believe he can be a three-down linebacker."

Over in Baltimore, the front office is equally confident in Young's potential. When asked about possibly adding veteran help on the defensive line, the Ravens' GM made it clear: "We feel really good about Zion, and we feel really good about Mike Green, not to mention Trey. It's gonna be hard to get him off the field. So it becomes a matter of reps." That vote of confidence comes just a week after teammates praised Young for his work ethic and attitude in his earliest days wearing purple and black.

Football season is still a few months away, but all signs point to Young and Trotter seeing plenty of action this fall. For Mizzou fans, it's the kind of story that makes you proud to wear the black and gold—and maybe grab a new Tigers hoodie for game day.

In other Mizzou news, the basketball transfer tracker has a small but notable update. While we haven't covered every commitment, Missouri has been linked to James White—a guard who previously played at Ole Miss, UAB, and New Orleans. Expect the Tigers to add at least one more guard to the roster as they continue shaping the lineup for next season.