LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va. – The Washington Redskins selected defensive end Chase Young in the first round (No. 2 overall) of the 2020 NFL Draft.
Young (6-5, 265) played in 38 games at Ohio State from 2017-19 and recorded 99 tackles (69 solo), 42.5 tackles for loss, 30.5 sacks, 10 forced fumbles and eight passes defensed.
As a junior in 2019, Young registered 16.5 sacks, which set the Ohio State single-season record and was the highest total in the nation. Young also led the nation in forced fumbles (seven). He was named a unanimous All-American and Heisman Trophy finalist, where he was the ninth defensive player out of 159 total finalists since 1982.
Young was named both the Chuck Bednarik Award and Bronko Nagurski Trophy winners, which both are presented annually to college football's top defensive players. He was additionally named to the 2019 College Football All-American Team and first-team All-Big Ten.
Young, 21, attended DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, Md., where he won the state football championship during his senior season. Young was named Washington Post's all-metropolitan defensive player of the year and was included on the U.S. Army All-American and American Family Insurance All-US Football teams. He was born April 14, 1999.
NOTES ON THE SELECTION OF DE CHASE YOUNG
- Young is the 485th selection made by the Redskins in the Common Draft era (since 1967) and the 32nd first-round selection in that time frame. He is the 63rd first-round selection by the Redskins all-time since the institution of the draft in 1936.
- Young's selection marks the fourth straight year in which the Redskins have selected a defensive player with a first-round pick in the draft joining Montez Sweat (No. 26 overall in 2019), Jonathan Allen (No. 17 overall in 2017) and Daron Payne (No. 13 overall in 2018). This is the first time in team history the Redskins selected defensive players with a first-round pick selection in four consecutive drafts.
- Young is the 11th defensive player selected by the Redskins in the first round since 1999, joining CB Champ Bailey (1999), LB LaVar Arrington (2000), S Sean Taylor (2004), CB Carlos Rogers (2005), S LaRon Landry (2007), DE/LB Brian Orakpo (2009), LB Ryan Kerrigan (2011), DL Jonathan Allen (2017), DT Daron Payne (2018) and DE Montez Sweat (2019). Seven of the 10 defensive players selected by the Redskins in the first round in that time frame have earned at least one Pro Bowl selection during their career.
- Young's selection marks the eighth time in the Common Draft era that the Redskins have selected a defensive lineman in the first round, joining Montez Sweat (2019), Daron Payne (2018), Jonathan Allen (2017), Ryan Kerrigan (2011), Brian Orakpo (2009, transitioned to linebacker in 2010), Kenard Lang (1997) and Bobby Wilson (1991). The Redskins also selected Tracy Rocker (1989, third round), Markus Koch (1986, second round), Bob Slater (1984, second round), Duncan McColl (1977, fourth round) and Bill Brundige (1970, second round) with the team's first selections of each of the drafts listed.
- With the selections of Young, Sweat, Payne and Allen, the Redskins have now used first-round selections on defensive linemen in four consecutive drafts for the first time in the Common Draft era.
- Young is the 19th Ohio State product selected by the Redskins all-time, joining C Steve Andrako (1940), E Cy Souders (1945), B Vic Janowicz (1952), T Julius Wittman (1952), G George Rosso (1954), T Fran Machinsky (1956), T George Tolford (1961), G Mike Ingram (1961), B Dave Francis (1963), G Rod Foster (1963), FB Tom Barrington (1966), E Ron Sepic (1967), RB Rich Galbos (1973), T Henry Brown (1988), G Tim Moxley (1990), WR Evan Spencer (2015), QB Dwayne Haskins Jr. (2019) and WR Terry McLaurin (2019).
- Young's selection marks the third time the franchise has drafted a player with the No. 2 overall pick in the Common Draft Era. The other two selections were LaVar Arrington (2000) and Robert Griffin III (2012).
- Young is the 19th player the Redskins have selected out of Ohio State. Ohio State has now produced the sixth-most draft selections in Redskins history, trailing only Notre Dame (34), USC (30), Alabama (26), Penn State (22) and Nebraska (20).
- In 2019, Young ranked No. 1 in the nation in tackles for loss per game (1.91), No. 1 in sacks (16.5) and sacks per game (1.50), No. 2 in forced fumbles (six) and No. 4 in total tackles for loss (21.0).
- Young joined Mike Vrabel as the only player in Ohio State history to post consecutive seasons with 10-plus sacks.
- Young was named the Big Ten's Nagurski-Woodson Defensive Player of the Year, Smith-Brown Defensive Lineman of the Year and first-team All-Big Ten last season.
- Young holds the Ohio State single-season sack record with 16.5 in 2019.
- Young is No. 2 in school history in total sacks (30.5), trailing Mike Vrabel (36.0). Young played in only three seasons compared to Vrabel's four.