According to both Todd McShay and Mel Kiper Jr., the best player in the 2020 NFL Draft is Ohio State defensive end Chase Young. Young is unlikely to go No.1 overall as the Cincinnati Bengals are heavy favorites per the NFL Draft odds to take Joe Burrow with the first pick, but he is widely expected to be the second player selected on Thursday night. He is the most pro ready player in the draft, and the Washington Redskins are projected to take him with the No. 2 selection. A lot can happen over the next week though, so will Young really end up going in the top two picks?
No. 1 or No. 2 Pick -1200
No. 3 Pick or Later +658
Chase Young is in the same rarified air as players like Jadeveon Clowney, Nick Bosa, and Myles Garrett coming out of college. Young is rated as the only elite prospect in this year’s draft class by McShay, and Kiper has him on top of his big board as well.
If you watched any Ohio State games last season, you know that Young was always the best player on the field. He was a man amongst boys most of the time, and he stepped his game up when it mattered the most. Young broke Ohio State’s single-season sack record despite missing three games, racking up 16.5 sacks and forcing six fumbles during his time in scarlet and grey.
His two most impressive games were against two of the other juggernauts in the Big Ten, Wisconsin and Penn State. He became a Heisman Trophy contender against the Badgers by sacking Jack Coan four times and forcing two fumbles in a 38-7 blowout. Wisconsin had one of the best offensive lines in the country this season, but their tackles were no match for Young’s athleticism.
After sitting out for nearly a month due to the absurdity of the NCAA, Young showed that there was no rust in his next game against the Nittany Lions. The junior defensive end had nine tackles, three sacks and a forced fumble against Penn State, helping the Buckeyes lock up the Big Ten East title once more.
Young didn’t participate in the NFL Combine to the chagrin of many draftniks, but he had nothing else to prove after such a dominant season. He has the best physical tools of any player in this year’s draft class, and his elite blend of size, speed, and athleticism will lead to him being the early favorite to win the 2020 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award per the NFL futures odds no matter which team selects him.
It’s highly unlikely that the Redskins will pass up on the opportunity to take Young at No. 2. Washington selected Young’s former teammate Dwayne Haskins to be the team’s quarterback of the future in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft, and the only reason to pass up on Young would be to take a quarterback. Other top prospects like Jeff Okudah, Isaiah Simmons, and Jerry Jeudy are all extremely talented, but they aren’t as dominant as Young.
Even if there is a trade for the No. 2 pick, Young should be the player selected at this spot. There isn’t another quarterback that teams can justify taking ahead of the standout defensive end, as Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Herbert, and Jordan Love all have real concerns. Tagovailoa is the only quarterback of the bunch that could sneak into the top five, but a team jumping all the way up to No. 2 to take him would be a tough sell.
It’s a lot of chalk, but the right bet is on Young to be taken in the first two picks of the 2020 NFL Draft.
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