Chase Young | EDGE | Ohio State
Height | 6-5
Weight | 265
Strengths
Would it be cheating to just say “everything”?
Truth be told, there are very few things that Young doesn’t do well. He accelerates very well off the snap and possesses great short-area quickness, and his hip and ankle flexibility allows him to consistently rip and dip underneath offensive tackles at a high level. He has great range as a tackler and change direction fluidly in space. Young’s pad level as a pass-rusher is reliable, and he has shown that he can get inside hand placement on a pretty regular basis. His understanding of leverage helps him out tremendously.
Young rushes with heavy hands that pack a powerful punch upon contact but also move actively and quickly. He excels at exposing the set points of offensive linemen to find the best path to the quarterback and has the agility to bounce inside on outside rushes when a hole presents itself. The 6-foot-5, 265-pound rusher also has a lengthy and muscular frame that is well built for the physicality the NFL presents.
If you’re looking for production, then Young has that, too. He stepped in as a true sophomore and tallied 10.5 sacks and 14.5 tackles for a loss in place of Nick Bosa in 2018. Young put together an even better performance in 2019, as he has 13.5 sacks and 15.5 tackles for a loss through just 8 games this year. His ability to produce and dominate in a powerful conference like the Big Ten is encouraging for his prospects in the pros.
Weaknesses
Young doesn’t have a lot of weaknesses, but that’s not to say he doesn’t have room to improve. He could stand to build some lower-body strength and get better at rushing with his weight underneath him, as doing so would benefit his power game. He can get better at avoiding being sealed off in run support and eating gaps in run support. His counter game could also be improved, as he finds himself stuck at times if he doesn’t win the initial battle at the point of contact.
Young was also suspended for two games in 2019 for accepted an unauthorized loan from a family friend. While the situation isn’t severe and shouldn’t affect his draft stock, teams will likely ask him about the suspension leading up to the draft.
Bottom Line
An athletic, ferocious, polished and productive pass-rusher, Young is a well-rounded prospect with a very high ceiling at the next level. Even with his suspension, he should be selected very early in April.