Redskins officially select Ohio State edge rusher Chase Young

It’s been hinted at all offseason, and now, one of the most heavily anticipated selections of the 2020 NFL Draft is in the books.

With the No. 2 overall pick, the Washington Redskins were always going to be in a position to select one of the top talents in the 2020 NFL Draft. And with the one team ahead of them being the Cincinnati Bengals, a likely quarterback lock, the door was always open for Washington to walk away with the best overall player.

In the 2020 NFL Draft, that happened to be Chase Young, and when it came time to select at No. 2, the Redskins didn’t overthink it. They went with the best overall player. And now, Chase Young is a member of the Washington Redskins.

Young, who recently turned 21 years old, logged 16.5 sacks, 21.0 tackles for loss, and seven forced fumbles in his final season with the Ohio State Buckeyes. Young’s tape matches his stat line, as the edge rusher is a scarily consistent pass rusher, and still has plenty of developmental upside on top of his high floor.

It’s hard to pick a trademark trait for Young to hang his hat on, because he is a very complete prospect. Young, 6-foot-5, 265, has very good size for an edge rusher, possessing the length to separate from offensive linemen, and he also has elite athleticism, possessing the burst, bend, and speed around the edge to beat blockers with ease.

There was talk that the Redskins would potentially weigh other options at No. 2, or even trade down if a good offer reached their desk, but in the end, sheer talent won out. Young’s profile is a safe one that offers the developmental upside often associated with raw prospects. Players with coinciding upside and solidity are very hard to come by across the uncertain NFL Draft landscape, and for the Redskins, a team at the start of a rebuild, picking Young, a blue-chip talent with high positional value, was always the best choice on paper.

Now, Young is a member of the Redskins, and it will be up to him to prove that he was truly the best choice for Washington. As the No. 2 pick, and the first non-quarterback taken, the expectations will be high. But Young has the traits to meet those expectations in the backfield, for a loss.