With the second overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Washington Redskins surprised no one, by selecting pass rusher Chase Young out of Ohio State.
Chase Young is the consensus best player in the 2020 NFL Draft. So it really isn’t much of a surprise that the Washington Redskins took him with the No. 2 pick. There were only a few ways this wasn’t going to happen. First was that the Cincinnati Bengals took Young with the first overall pick. Taking Joe Burrow seemed like the right choice though, as it’s hard to pass up on a franchise quarterback.
The other options would have been the Redskins trading back, or drafting a quarterback themselves. Both were rumored at points, but neither made all that much sense.
Dwayne Haskins was drafted last season (and deserves a real chance) at quarterback. Meanwhile, it would take the most ridiculous of trade packages to make up for losing out on a generational talent like Young.
More from NFL Spin Zone
- Dallas Cowboys made the trade everyone else should have made
- Pittsburgh Steelers rookie sleeper everyone should be talking about
- Anthony Richardson putting jaw-dropping talent on display immediately
- Denver Broncos’ stud wide receiver might be out for a while
- Washington Commanders: Three takeaways from win over Ravens
To put how good he is into perspective, Young went to Ohio State. That school has had some of the best pass rushing prospects the NFL has seen over the last few years.
Both Nick Bosa and Joey Bosa went to Ohio State. They were considered some of the top talents in a long time. Neither come close to the production that Young boasted. And neither entered the NFL with the type of potential and hype that he has as well.
Young will be an immediate presence for Washington. He not only has elite potential down the road but could be great right away. There is a very real argument that the Redskins have much more pressing needs than in the pass rush. But imagine Montez Sweat and Young together? In a few short months, you won’t have to imagine it anymore.
That could turn into the scariest duo in the NFL within a year. Then the Redskins are set.
That’s not all though. Remember, Washington also has Jonathan Allen, Da’Ron Payne and the massively underrated Matthew Ioannidis on the defensive line. Throw in Tim Settle for depth and Ryan Kerrigan as a veteran leader and things just become unfair for opponents.
And having an elite pass rush is only going to help the secondary. So while it’s not the same as drafting a cornerback or safety, this will still make a difference in that area.
Young is the most intriguing prospect the NFL draft has had in quite some time. He could realistically go out and drop 12-plus sacks in his rookie year. He will make everyone in the pass rush better and gives Washington a legitimate superstar.
It’s impossible to give this grade anything other than an A+ at the moment. The Redskins had the second overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft and got the best prospect we’ve seen in the last few years. Chase Young is as close to a sure thing as you could possibly be.
Congratulations to the Washington Redskins. And to the fans, have fun. It will be fun to look back on this at the end of the 2020 season and see if Young lived up to the hype or if he was disappointing. Don’t be surprised if he meets (or somehow even exceeds) expectations.