Chase Young is still very much in play, and he’s the Lions pick if he’s available
For the Lions to land Ohio State EDGE Chase Young, the consensus best player in the draft, at No. 3, it would take a couple of things outside of the team’s control. First, the Washington Redskins would have to take Alabama Qb Tua Tagovailoa with the No. 2 pick.
That seems more of a realistic possibility now than before the combine. New Washington coach Ron Rivera threw the door wide open for taking Tua during his media session. He had a chance to quash it all and give last year’s first-rounder, Dwayne Haskins, a vote of confidence. Rivera did note Haskins’ improvement through his rocky rookie season, specifically citing the win over the Lions, but the enthusiasm with which he talked about the potential of taking Tagovailoa means it must at least be a realistic consideration.
It could be a smokescreen, too. Washington doesn’t have a second-round pick and is in more dire need of extra assets than the Lions. Rivera might have been masterfully (or unwittingly) driving up the trade value for another team aiming to land Tagovailoa. That would drop Young into the Lions’ laps. Every conversation I’ve had with people whose Lions knowledge and draft opinions I trust leads me to conclude the team would run to the podium and select Young if he’s available at No. 3.