Getty Chase Young, formerly of the Ohio State Buckeyes
New Redskins defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio has coached a number of top pass-rushers throughout his years in the league. Julius Peppers, Von Miller, and Khalil Mack are among those he has seen close up. While he wouldn’t put Chase Young in the same category as those three, Del Rio sees the potential in Washington’s top rookie.
“I think the sky’s the limit for him in terms of what he will be able to bring us,” the coach said of Young.
Del Rio admits that he hasn’t seen Young on the field yet with COVID-19 preventing Washington from assembling for offseason activities.
“We haven’t seen him yet [on the field], but I’ve watched enough tape,” Del Rio said. “He’s going to be a really good player for us.”
Several other teams wanted a chance to take the Ohio State pass-rusher at the draft. Atlanta tried to pull off a deal, attempting trade up to No. 2 to select the star defensive end last month. The Falcons could have really used Young but simply didn’t have the assets to move up from No. 16, as our own Kelsey Kramer explained.
While the Redskins were listening to offers for the pick, they ultimately wouldn’t budge for the Falcons or any other team. Washington believes the edge rusher will help them return to glory.
Young joins a strong defensive front that includes Montez Sweat, Ryan Kerrigan, Daron Payne, Jonathan Allen, and Matt Ioannidis.
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Too Much Defensive Talent in the Front Seven?
You can never have too much talent on defense, though Del Rio said he might have trouble finding playing time for several high performers on the defensive side of the ball.
“It’s kind of like a basketball team not having enough balls to go around,” Del Rio said. “You got a bunch of stars. But it’s good to have good players. We have good players in our front, guys that were well thought of coming out of the draft. They were taken high, and we should expect them to be really good players for us and be a really solid foundation for us to build around, and that’s how we’re going to approach it.”
The addition of Young gives the team five first-round picks up front, making the unit the team’s most talented group.
Washington’s Revamped Secondary
The franchise released Josh Norman earlier in the offseason, watching him ink a deal with the Bills. The team also traded away Quinton Dunbar, shipping him to the Seahawks for just a fifth-round pick.
Although Dunbar was looking for a new contract, the decision to move on from him was a curious one. Dunbar had a fantastic 2019 season. Richard Sherman was the only cornerback to have a better campaign, per Pro Football Focus. The University of Florida Product played 347 snaps last year, allowing just two touchdowns, and he allowed just 17 first downs across his 52 targets, which is the 10th best rate in the league.
Washington brought back Kendall Fuller, giving him a four-year deal and the franchise inked Ronald Darby to a one-year pact. Behind them is Fabian Moreau and not much else. Darby should have a chance to start across Fuller next season.
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