Getty Head coach Dan Campbell and the Detroit Lions have been connected to a former No. 2 overall pick.
The Detroit Lions made a few separate splashes in the NFL draft this spring. If they would like to make one more big move this summer, CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin argued defensive end Chase Young could fit.
Benjamin named the Lions one of a possible five “logical landing spots” for the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft if he was traded before the season.
“Young seemed like he was going to be a cornerstone player for the Commanders when he was taken No. 2 overall out of Ohio State and then made the Pro Bowl as a rookie,” Benjamin wrote. “Injuries have dogged him since then, though, and Washington declined to pick up his fifth-year option.
“Might another team be willing to give up something of value and hope it can tap into his immense upside?”
Benjamin didn’t propose what it might take to trade for Young, but depending on the price, he’s an intriguing option for a defense such as Detroit.
Could Lions Trade for DE Chase Young?
As Benjamin noted, Young had a tremendous start to his career. He recorded 7.5 sacks, 10 tackles for loss, 12 quarterback hits, 4 pass defenses and 4 forced fumbles on his way to capturing the Rookie Defensive Player of the Year award in 2020.
But since then, Young has only played in 12 contests over the past two years. Even when on the field, he hasn’t been the same player. Young had 1.5 sacks, 3 tackles for loss, 5 quarterback hits, 3 pass defenses and 2 forced fumbles in those 12 contests from 2021-22.
There’s a risk to trading for Young because of his injury-plagued last two years. Young tore his ACL and patellar tendon in his right knee during Week 10 of 2021. A study from Northwestern Medicine in 2016 found that rupturing a patellar tendon is the most difficult injury to recover from in the NFL.
But it’s not clear if Young will be available in a trade. While the Commanders did not pick up Young’s fifth-year option, a contract extension before the season is not out of the question for the defensive end.
“With Chase it’s really all about the health more than anything else,” Commanders head coach Ron Rivera told the media in March.
“One of the real positives, he went, and saw Dr. [James] Andrews. Dr. Andrews gave him a bill of clean health … Now for us, it’s just, OK, let’s go through this, let’s see how he continues and then we’ll see, we’ll see him, we’ll continue to discuss it.”
How Young Could Fit With Lions
Assuming Young could be acquired in a trade, the Lions are a team that makes sense for the defensive end.
They were tied for 18th in the league with 39 sacks but were in the bottom five in rushing yards allowed and yards yielded per carry.
While an elite pass rusher when healthy, Young is also an excellent run defender. The Pro Football Focus player grades ranked Young a top 10 edge rusher against the run in 2020.
Even as his sack numbers disappeared the past two seasons, Young has fared well in run defense according to PFF.
That makes Young an obvious fit for the Detroit defense. He could make an immediate impact for the Lions against the run. If his elite sack numbers returned too, that’d be icing on the cake for a young Lions defense that should be considering any possibility to add talent to the unit.
The Lions finished last in total defense during 2022.
In addition to Young, Benjamin connected the Lions to Arizona Cardinals wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. He also encouraged the Lions to consider signing defensive end Yannick Ngakoue in free agency.