2020 NFL Draft: Justin Herbert goes No. 1 in first-round NFL mock draft

Every year, teams reach for quarterbacks. Then, 5 years later those same teams look foolish. In the end, teams can’t be blamed for taking a chance on a position as impactful as the quarterback. But 5 years later on, those teams still look foolish.

Do you know what team doesn’t look foolish? The team that drafts a generational talent on the Defensive Edge. Not convinced? Look at the San Francisco 49ers and Nick Bosa. No one is saying Bosa was the missing piece that helped elevate the team to 9-1. Then again, no one is not saying that either.

The biggest obstacle for Washington landing Chase Young? A meddlesome owner in the draft, and the fact that Young doesn’t play for Alabama. Despite their history, however, it would be truly difficult to screw this pick up.

The team seems to be standing by Dwayne Haskins. Alex Smith is still under contract and may eventually return, to either be a mentor to Haskins or hope that third time is the charm for the former 49ers/Chiefs starter. And with no reason to reach for a quarterback, this is the perfect time for the Dan Snyder and Bruce Allen to rebuild some trust with the fanbase by drafting the most talented player in the 2020 NFL draft.

Chase Young is a generational talent. At 6-foot-5, 265 Lbs, Young is the ideal size to break off the edge. He can beat offensive lineman in a multitude of ways. Spin moves, brute force, he can do it all to manhandle whoever is blocking against him. The film shows a player who can beat offensive lineman by pure strength and technique.

Young specifically plays outside the tackle, so he would be most suited for a team using a 4-3 defense. The Washington Defensive coordinator Greg Manusky has favored a base 3-4 for most of his career, but over the last couple years, they’ve used it less and less, settling like many teams on playing Nickel over 60% of the time.

One large wrench that could be thrown into this whole process in how well the team values current defensive ends Jonathan Allen, Matt Ioannidis, and Montez Sweat. Allen and Sweat are both first-round draft picks, and drafting another defensive end in the 2020 NFL draft could be construed by some in the Washington offices as a failure. They would be mistaken.

For starters, there is no guarantee that Manusky will even be the Defensive coordinator next year. A new head coach might want to select their own DC. Secondly, Chase Young is so good it would be worth it to totally change a teams base defense to accommodate him.

In the 2020 NFL draft, Chase Young is far and away the most impressive athlete available. If Washington does not draft him, I assure you that the next team will. Young has a chance to totally redefine the defensive line in Washington functions. If Washington does not select him, they will become draft rich by trading the spot to a team that can use him.