Washington Football Team: Chase Young named a top player under 25

The best of Washington’s youth

One way to assess a team’s young talent is by analyzing those players under age 25. Age 25 is significant, as it is typically the age a player’s rookie deal is set to expire. This is not always the case, but it can provide a good baseline for analysis.

Pro Football Focus Lead NFL Analyst Sam Monson recently put out an article ranking the top 25 players under 25 entering the 2021 NFL season. Edge defender Chase Young, ranked No. 7, was the only WFT player selected to the list. Monson noted, with regards to Young’s impact, “he was a top-10-graded edge rusher in Year 1; he could be a superstar in Year 2.”

When looking for a suitable word to describe Chase Young’s impact with the burgundy and gold on the field, none really stood out as being worthy. Since being drafted, the former Ohio State Buckeye has done nothing except live up to the insane hype that followed with his arrival. The word great is overused, so how about extraordinary, prodigious, or stupendous?

If there was one criticism of Young’s game in year one, it was his lack of sack production. Some argued that, based on his skill level, producing only 7.5 sacks might have been on the low side. This writer doesn’t agree with that criticism.

You don’t have to be a seasoned NFL analyst to have noticed Chase Young’s true impact as a rookie. In reality, his mere presence alone helped the defense way more than a simple stat line would ever show. Look for him to take a massive jump in Year 2.