The Washington Redskins could not pass up Chase Young.
With the selection of Young with the second overall pick, the Redskins get a “game-changing” type of edge-rushing prospect that a number of “experts” have as the best prospect in the draft.
Young measured at 6-foot-5 and 264 pounds at the Combine, and those dimensions put him in the same category as former No. 1 picks Myles Garrett (6-foot-4, 272 pounds) and Jadeveon Clowney (6-foot-5, 266 pounds). Young has also been compared to Julius Peppers. So, that’s all three really good pass rushers.
Young grew up in Prince George’s County, Maryland, and becomes the second-straight homegrown player the Redskins drafted in the first round.
They all didn’t believe you could do it. They said “Why Pallotti”. They loved you , They hated you, but you know who’s hands you are in. Today is the day I prepared my whole life for. Thank you everyone who supported me up to now I as enter the next chapter… 🙏🏾 pic.twitter.com/aj3R5lsdoh
— CY2 (@youngchase907) April 23, 2020
A year ago, the Redskins selected Dwayne Haskins, who played at Bullis High School and also went to Ohio State.
Young was a Heisman Trophy finalist last year at Ohio State with 16½ sacks and 21 tackles for a loss.
He will try and duplicate his former teammate Nick Bosa’s rookie campaign. Bosa was taken with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2019 draft by the San Francisco 49ers and was a big reason why the 49ers played in the Super Bowl in February. He recorded 47 tackles and nine sacks on his way to winning the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Young’s addition is historic considering he’s joining a defense that is already strong up front with the likes of Jonathan Allen, Matt Ioannidis, Daron Payne, Tim Settle, Ryan Kerrigan and Montez Sweat.
With the selection of Chase Young, the Redskins are the 1st team in the Common Draft Era (since 1967) to draft a defensive lineman in the 1st round of four straight drafts (Jonathan Allen, 17th overall in 2017, Daron Payne 13th overall in 2018, Montez Sweat 26th overall in 2019). pic.twitter.com/HEv3sXbQVv
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) April 24, 2020
The defense is definitely in need of some help, as it finished 27th in points allowed last season and last in third-down percentage.
In Jack Del Rio’s defense, Redskins fans can allow themselves to dream with the thought of Young and Sweat coming off the edge and meeting at the quarterback. It might remind them of a pretty good duo that played under Joe Gibbs and Richie Petitbon named Dexter Manley and Charles Mann. They had some success.
Why not trade back?
Yes, the Redskins need a lot more on the offensive of the ball, but my colleague Rob Woodfork hammered home the point — a player like Young doesn’t come along too often. Could they have traded back in the draft?
Sure, it’s possible they could have. We heard reports of a number of teams trying to get to the number two spot to select Young, but as head coach Ron Rivera pointed out earlier this month: “If you’re going to make a trade and you’re going to go back, that guy you’re going to take at that spot has to be able to make the kind of impact you need to validate missing an opportunity to take a player that’s a high-impact guy.”
“You’ve got to be able to sit there and say that the next guy that I’m going to take is going to be that high-impact guy,” he said.
“That’s what I believe we need — we need a guy that’s going to come in and really change our football team,” Rivera said.
They have that guy in Chase Young.
Young in the community
Young was busy giving back to his community even before he was drafted by the Redskins.
On Wednesday, he made a Chipotle lunch donation to help feed 300 nurses at MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital, where he was born.
Thank you to @postmates and @chipotle for helping me feed 300 Nurses at Southern Maryland Hospital yesterday. I was born at this hospital 21 years ago and today the dreams I’ve had my whole life will come true. Thank you to all the health care workers!! It’s DRAFT DAY!!! https://t.co/UZaIc8EvbE
— CY2 (@youngchase907) April 23, 2020
