Chase Young was about as close to a sure thing as an NFL Draft prospect can be. His physical dominance and obvious potential at Ohio State set him apart in his class, giving the Washington Commanders an easy choice to take him at No. 2 in the 2020 NFL Draft.
That potential was never realized, though, at least not in Washington. Young didn't become the elite edge rusher he was expected to be, leading to a mid-season trade in 2023 that sent him to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for a third-round pick.
Over two years removed from his last days in Washington, Young has revived his NFL career. He has been unstoppable this season, logging 5.5 sacks through six games.
Commanders never got to see the Chase Young that the Saints are getting
It's hard to blame the Commanders for their lack of patience with the edge rusher. He certainly had his moments in Washington, but he wasn't consistently the ace edge rusher he was drafted to be. In 32 starts with the team, he posted just 14 sacks. While his run defense was excellent, he didn't bring enough as a pass rusher to warrant a major contract extension.
That lack of production, combined with a clearly broken relationship between the player and organization, led to an inevitable parting of ways.
Edge rushers don't often take years to reach their potential, but Young seems to finally be finding his groove at 27 years old. Along with his 5.5 sacks, he has 24 pressures this season, which ranks inside the NFL's top 20.
Young has been a bright spot for a struggling Saints defense this year. He and Carl Granderson have quietly formed one of the league's most productive edge-rushing duos, combining for nine sacks.
As it turns out, Young can be the ace pass rusher Washington envisioned.
Meanwhile, the Commanders have spent years trying to put a capable pass rush together with minimal success. After spending over $130 million on the defensive line this offseason, Washington is still in the bottom third of the league in sack rate. Odafe Oweh has made an impact, but his two sacks don't match the contract that the Commanders gave him.
If they could have looked into a crystal ball and seen Young's eventual breakout, the Commanders may have kept him around. Instead, he's off racking up sacks with the Saints while Washington's defense flounders.
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