Assessing Redskins first-round options: Ohio State EDGE Chase Young
By Ian Cummings
Scouting Chase Young
There’s a lot of hyperbole floating around about Chase Young. Some say he’s a can’t-miss prospect. Some say he’s the second coming of *insert your favorite Hall of Fame edge rusher here*. Some say he’s a bust because of his Clemson game. None of these things are true, even the positive ones. One can never deal in absolutes in the NFL Draft. But Young is a very, very good prospect. Let’s start there.
Young’s game can be broken down into two areas: Pass rushing and run defense. He’s far more productive and refined as a pass rusher, and his comfort in that area shows up on tape. Here’s a quick list of his strengths and weaknesses as a pass rusher. You’ll find that the list is not particularly balanced.
Pass Rushing – Strengths and Weaknesses
Strengths
- Has impressive get-off, too much for slower linemen
- Displays a knowledge of various pass rush moves in his arsenal
- Uses pass rush combos effectively, has high rush I.Q.
- Still learning to consistently apply athleticism and intelligence concurrently, but both athleticism and intelligence are present, thus bringing tremendous upside there
- Dangerous pursuit acceleration once he’s free
- Has the explosion to create separation from defenders in short ranges
- Relentless motor rushing the quarterback
- Has some coverage ability with length, awareness, and closing speed
- Actively aware of check down options, snuffs them out
- Screen destroyer with quick diagnosing skills and adept tracking ability
- Incredible bend capacity, given his 6-foot-5, 265-pound build
- Has the rare ability to bend while accelerating through the block
- Has a general feel of when to cut inside and bend under the blocker
- Can shrink around the corner and decrease the distance to the quarterback
- Can carry momentum through direction changes, compounding acceleration
- Hands are always active, looking to disrupt passes
- Good length, but not as dominant as advertised
- Has enough length to impact the quarterback in pursuit
- Constant presence quarterbacks have to be aware of
- Even if he’s not getting sacks, he’s crunching the pocket, making the QB uncomfortable
- Elite at disrupting a quarterback’s rhythm
- Ability to force the quarterback away from his position will help provide opportunities for other pass rushers in the NFL
- Elite overall athleticism for his size; likely to test extremely well
- Swimmingly executes stunts and lane navigation, has some versatility on the line
- Teams schemed against Young a lot down the stretch, and he still produced pressure
Weaknesses
- Can sometimes play too high with his pads and lose leverage
- Can still generate explosive momentum from upright stance, pointing to outrageous athleticism
- Speed can sometimes cause him to be routed away from the play by linemen; occasionally plays without control of his traits
- Frame is compact, somewhat easy to handle if he ventures inside; leveraging can help
- Can time the snap better consistently
- Sometimes tries to win with traits alone, failing to create imbalance
- Play strength is generally good, but somewhat inconsistent; again, leveraging can help
- Can sometimes struggle to convert speed to power with his lean build
Pass Rushing Summary
Rushers with bend come at a premium in today’s NFL, and rushers with a combination of bend and size like Young are very rare. The word “generational” gets thrown around a lot, and while I wouldn’t necessarily call Young generational because of his play strength, which can be middling at times, he has a very exciting athletic profile, with all the necessary tools for a modern edge rusher. Speed, rapid burst, length, edge bending ability; it’s all there, and flashes of power have been noted, including one play against Clemson where Young bull rushed through a double team and nearly logged a sack.
Young has the physical traits to provide both a substantially high floor and a cathedral ceiling. He also displays the pass rushing nuance and I.Q. to suggest that, with some NFL coaching, he can unlock a different kind of consistency, and become an even greater terror at the next level. Young’s biggest issues rest in his pad level, as he plays upright a bit too often, both in pass and run defense. But even from that stance, he displays remarkable explosion, which means there’s room for him to further maximize his traits, if he can iron out those leveraging issues.
Much was made of Young’s zero-sack performance against the Clemson Tigers, but it’s important not to box score scout, and actually scrutinize the tape. Young generated consistent pressure in that game as well, and it wasn’t always his fault when he didn’t produce. The Clemson offense made a point of over-encumbering him with extra blockers, and Trevor Lawrence is insanely good at pocket evasion. Even when Young isn’t generating sacks, he’s generating pressure, making the quarterback uncomfortable, and creating opportunities for other defenders. That’s big.
In the NFL, Young projects well as a 4-3 defensive end, but he has the athleticism and the awareness to drop back into coverage if need be. He’s an excellent fit for the new Redskins defense engineered by Ron Rivera and Jack Del Rio, and he fits the mold of the pass rusher Del Rio has a record of picking. In the company of Julius Peppers and Von Miller, that should make Redskins fans excited.
Run Defense – Strengths and Weaknesses
Strengths
- Has the agility to reset and cut off runners
- Shows flashes of balance and timed disengaging
- Has enough strength to stand tall and set the edge
- Has very good leg churn when working against blockers to put pressure on running angles
- Has the speed and length to take away angles for outside runners
Weaknesses
- Can sometimes play too high with his pads and lose leverage
- Sometimes guesses wrong on RB direction
- Inconsistent as the read defender on option plays
- Length can be bested in run defense, where lateral leverage is more important
- Can give himself up to blockers on outside runs by turning his shoulders to the sideline
- Doesn’t blow up running plays the way he does passing plays
Run Defense Summary
Run defense is more of a mixed bag for Young; he certainly has the potential to improve there, and he’s by no means bad. But it’s clear his specialty, at this point, is rushing the passer. That’s a good thing, as the league is ultimately becoming more passing-oriented, and he can make more of an impact there. But some of his appeal as a top-tier prospect should come from his multifaceted ability.
In that sense, there’s still room for excitement in terms of Young’s run defense. He’s shown frequently that he possesses the agility to reset after blocks and cut off runners, and he has the speed and length to take away angles from ball carriers streaking to the outside. His play strength also holds up well here, as he visibly has enough to stand tall and set the edge.
To word it simply, Young isn’t as actively dominant in run defense as he is in pass defense. His mental game is inconsistent here, as he sometimes struggles with direction changes and disengaging from blockers. Playing to leverage is also a concern, as Young more than once gave up his leverage, either by playing with too high of a pad level, or by turning his shoulders to the sideline in pursuit.
None of these issues are condemning ones for Young, who has almost all the traits necessary to improve at the next level. It’s at the very least worth noting that his run defense isn’t as polished as his pass rushing ability, but the latter will be given greater value in evaluations, either way.
Chase Young Overview
All prospects have flaws, and Chase Young is no different. But his profile is likely to be one of the cleaner ones in the 2020 NFL Draft. As a run defender, he’s a high-potential player who shows flashes of greatness, and as a pass rusher, he’s essentially already there. His combination of universal athletic rarity and pass rushing intelligence makes him a player with low bust potential and sky-high upside at the next level. That’s ultimately the best combo you can find in the 2020 NFL Draft. Want to see for yourself? The tape watched has been linked below, so you can make your own judgements!