2020 NFL Draft: Final mock draft with shocking picks and big trades

Remember those debates people were having about a year ago about whether or not Chase Young or Iowa’s AJ Epenesa would be the most coveted edge player in the 2020 NFL Draft?

Those seem silly now.

Chase Young was dominant as a junior at Ohio State. Although he’s not a hulking physical presence in terms of his listed measurables (6-foot-5, 265 pounds), there was never a time when I watched Young play that I didn’t think — wow, that dude is a man among boys.

Perhaps it was the combination of his size and speed that made Young seemingly dwarf every offensive tackle he lined up against, or perhaps it’s just the fact that he knows how to use his size to his advantage better than any other defensive player in this class.

The Washington Redskins, along with the rest of the NFL, saw the impact Nick Bosa made for the San Francisco 49ers as a rookie in 2019. That could be amplified with Chase Young, as crazy as that sounds.

Young is a superstar off the edge whose physical abilities are second only to his advanced skill as an edge player, capable of dominating games with power, speed, strength, quickness, and an understanding of offensive linemen tendencies.

In Washington, Young is either going to create one-on-one matchups for Ryan Kerrigan and Montez Sweat off the edge, Da’Ron Payne on the inside, or he’ll get one-on-one matchups himself.

Taking a pass rusher can pay huge dividends for your team in a short amount of time.

2011: The Denver Broncos had the 2nd overall pick in the NFL Draft and took Von Miller. They won the AFC West after finishing last place.

2014: The Houston Texans had the top pick and selected Jadeveon Clowney. They went from last place to second place with nine wins in 2014.

2019: The San Francisco 49ers finished with the second overall pick and selected Nick Bosa. They won the NFC in 2019.

There’s no doubt the Redskins could have a dramatic turnaround in 2020 simply by adding Chase Young to the fray.