The 2020 NFL Draft kicks off for its first-ever virtual ceremony on Thursday evening, and all eyes will once again be on future NFL superstar, defensive lineman Chase Young. While the annual event was to be held in Las Vegas, Nevada, with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell making the big announcements on stage, due to coronavirus, he will now be calling out the 2020 NFL Draft picks from his home in New York.
Due to the COVID-19 shut down, instead of walking the red carpet and onto the stage once his name is called, Young, 21, will be celebrating alongside his parents, Greg and Carla Young, at their house in Maryland. Young, who played high school football at Dematha in Hyattsville before becoming a star at Ohio State, will also be joined by his older sister, Weslie.
Young, who’s 6-foot-5, 265-pounds, is admittedly struggling emotionally with the virtual draft situation. In order to safely abide by the social distancing guidelines on Thursday, the future NFL star has to decide which of his 10 family members and close friends will be in the room with him when Goodell calls out his name.
While the decision feels a bit like Sophie’s Choice for Young, as this was a day the defensive lineman has been dreaming about his entire life, he’s since figured out a master plan in order to safely include all his loved ones on Draft Day amid coronavirus.
“We’re gonna shine a projector on the side of the house so that everybody else can drive up outside and watch (the draft),” Young told CBS Sports. “When I do get drafted, I can come outside. Just trying to make sure I can follow the rules while I also see the rest of my family.”
Young’s family is deeply rooted in the D.C. area. His father spent 22 years working with the Arlington County Sheriff’s Department in Virginia, while his mother worked in the Department of Transportation’s Office of Investigations. His uncle, Bernard Joseph, who lives four houses down from Young’s parents, spent two decades working with the Prince George’s County Police Department in Maryland as an undercover narcotics investigator.
Young Is Expected To Be Drafted By His Hometown Team of The Washington Redskins
2 days.. Gods plan… 🙏🏾
The unanimous All-American athlete is entering the NFL Draft following the best season of his college football career. In his 2019 season with the Buckeyes, Young racked up 16.5 sacks, 21 tackles for loss, and seven forced fumbles. The expected first-round draft pick is predicted to be the No. 2 overall selection on Thursday, with the Washington Redskins trading up to secure his stay in the D.C. area.
“It would definitely be an honor (to play for the Redskins),” Young said to CBS Sports. “I say that all the time. A lot of people don’t get a chance to play in their hometown. Especially on the highest level possible for football. If I go to the Redskins, it would be a blessing. Whatever team I go to would be a blessing. I’m just trying to put my best foot forward (at the next level).”
After Young declared for the draft in January, the Redskins’ first-round draft pick from 2019, Dwayne Haskins, was already gunning for the Heisman Trophy finalist to join him in Washington. Haskins, who was taken as the 15th overall pick tweeted, “See ya soon,” with a winking emoji face.
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Chase Young’s House: Where Does NFL’s Top Draft Pick Call Home?