2020 NFL Mock Draft: Full first-round mock plus all Redskins picks

For a while, this pick was written in pencil. While Chase Young always seemed like the top option for the Redskins, there existed a possibility that the team may opt to trade down, pick up some extra value, and target one of the other blue-chip options among the draft’s top players.

But now, this pick can be pretty confidently written in pen. Barring a surprise, Young will be a member of the Redskins.

The Redskins may not need an edge rusher that badly. They have a lot of talent on the defensive line and added Montez Sweat in the first round last season. But Young is the best defensive player — and the best overall player, for that matter — in this class. The team needs talent and figure to be rebuilding this year, so it makes sense to take the best player available.

Washington Commanders

Young had a whopping 16.5 sacks last season for Ohio State after posting 10.5 the year before. He has a number of great pass rushing moves that should afford him the opportunity to find instant success at the next level. He’s a great athlete as well and has an unbelievable first step off the edge.

With Young joining Sweat, Ryan Kerrigan, Daron Payne, Jonathan Allen, and Matt Ioannidis on the Redskins defensive line, the front could be something scary. That will give Ron Rivera and Jack Del Rio a chance to dial up a lot of pressure and be an aggressive pass rushing team moving forward. That’s something that Rivera’s best Carolina Panthers teams were good at, and having one elite defensive unit will afford him the opportunity to invest in upgrading the back seven in future seasons and with future picks.

It’s still possible that the Redskins could get blown away with a trade offer and move down, but at this point, that seems highly unlikely. And that’s especially true when considering that Rivera’s Panthers never moved down in the first round for any of the nine drafts that he was a part of.