The Redskins are open to moving the No. 2 pick in the NFL Draft. That means a lot of teams should be calling Washington about Chase Young.
Chase Young is one of the best pass rushing prospects to enter the NFL Draft in years. The Redskins need more than just an elite pass rusher to help them become a legitimate playoff team. That’s why every Super Bowl contender in the league should be talking to Washington about trading for the No. 2 pick.
The fact that teams have waited this long to really engage the Redskins in trade talks about the second pick is mystifying. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Washington isn’t “intent” on moving the pick but they are “listening” to teams that call. That should be all the encouragement elite NFL teams need to place a call to the nation’s capital.
Pass rushers may not be quite as valuable around the league as they used to be, but they are still a vital piece of any quality defense. The best units in the NFL now place equal weight on finding edge rushers and pass defenders. The recent momentum towards placing a higher value on defensive backs doesn’t change the fact that elite edge rushers are still immensely valuable.
Young is the best edge rusher in this class by a wide margin. More importantly, he’s one of the most dynamic pass rushers to come along in the last decade. It would be a major disappointment if he’s not able to notch double-digit sacks early in his professional career.
The list of teams that wouldn’t benefit from adding a player like that is remarkably short. That doesn’t mean every team in need of edge rushing help should be willing to pay the high price to move up to No. 2. The teams interested in paying that sort of premium should be the group of franchises that is just a dynamic player away from becoming legitimate Super Bowl contenders.
Admittedly, that puts the Redskins in a great position. They should not be willing to part with the second pick for anything less than a massive haul of future assets. Young is the sort of prospect that should bring back multiple premium picks in return. It’s not out of the question that Washington could receive up to three first round picks to give up the opportunity to draft Young.
That’s a steep price, but it’s worth paying for a team if they can turn drafting Young into a Super Bowl title during his rookie contract. The most talented prospect in this year’s draft class should be drawing more interest from teams looking to trade up to grab him. The smartest franchises in the league will spend a lot of time talking to the Redskins right up intil the draft begins.