Redskins Saturday Spotlight: Top ten prospect big board in Round 1
By Ian Cummings
If the Redskins are going edge in Round 1, it’s Chase Young, or nobody.
There are other edge rushers with exciting upside, such as LSU’s K’Lavon Chaisson, or Penn State’s Yetur Gross-Matos. But none of them have as much dominant physical potential as Ohio State’s Chase Young. Are you still confused as to why the Redskins would consider a first-round pass rusher with Ryan Kerrigan still on board? Young is your answer.
It’s very likely that Young could athletically test closely to Myles Garrett, who was renowned for his otherworldly athleticism in the lead-up to the 2017 NFL Draft. Garrett has now turned into a defensive star for the Browns, in spite of organizational dysfunction, and Young has the elite makeup to transcend his circumstances as well.
Edge rusher is one of the most important positions on defense, and the Redskins haven’t gotten as much consistent pressure as they’d like from that area this season. Montez Sweat is still a rookie and shouldn’t be judged conclusively yet, but Kerrigan has perceivably lost a step on the other side. Perhaps the Redskins would rather give Kerrigan one more year to rebound, but he’s over 30 years old, the rebuild is set to start this offseason, and Chase Young is available. Turning the page now might make the most sense.
With Young and Sweat, the Redskins would have an impressively athletic edge tandem, and both of them would be on rookie deals for at least three more years. And in Young’s case, he’ll be able to rise above bad coaching and other external factors, in order to produce for the Redskins when they need him. Edge might not be an immediate need. But Chase Young is.