Draft month is upon us, and with it comes wild speculation as to what team might pick which player, and which prospect has the most boom or bust potential.
For the Washington Redskins, months of anticipation have been building as they get ready to boost their roster with the addition of a No. 2 overall pick, which many believe they will use to draft Chase Young, a generational defensive end out of Ohio State. While the question of whether or not Young lands in Washington isn’t much up for debate, putting a ceiling on his future performance is a worthy discussion.
For ESPN’s Rex Ryan, who was a longtime coach in the NFL, putting any ceiling on the young man is dangerous, as he may be the best defensive prospect we’ve seen in years.
“I think a comparison is Khalil Mack,” Ryan said on ESPN’s Get Up. “Not only does this guy sack the quarterback, but he forces fumbles; he’s a turnover machine waiting to happen. I think he’s going to have a higher upside than Mack. This kind of guy comes around once every 10 years.”
Comparing Young to a player like Mack seems a little outlandish, but it’s exciting for Redskins fans to say the least. Over the past several years, Mack has become the most dominant defensive player in the game, save maybe Aaron Donald, and he single-handedly changes the dynamic of a defensive front.
So if the comparison is Khalil Mack, and a ceiling is too restrictive, how soon will we have to wait to find out just what exactly Young can become? Will it take a few years for him to grow into his own? According to Ryan, probably not.
“Realistically, this is a can’t miss guy, and he’s going to fit right into Washington’s plan and probably be a Pro-Bowler as a rookie.”
High expectations for a can’t-miss prospect.
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