2020 Redskins Mock Draft Roundup: Chase Young or Bust?

The first wave and a half of free agency is over. The Redskins have made a lot of moves so far as Ron Rivera continues to remake a 3-13 roster from last year. Washington has signed 8 free agents from other teams, and re-signed 3 of their own players. Ereck Flowers, Case Keenum, Michael Burton, and Colt McCoy have all left to sign with other teams. Brandon Scherff was franchise tagged. The Redskins traded a 5th for Panthers backup QB Kyle Allen, then got a 5th back for trading CB Quinton Dunbar yesterday. They also cut 4 CBs and safety Montae Nicholson. Then there is the ever-looming Trent Williams trade situation.

The Redskins still have 7 draft picks after all of the moves over the last two weeks. This includes the #2 overall pick which many people expect them to use on Ohio State DE Chase Young. It is getting harder and harder to find a mock draft that doesn’t link Young to the Redskins. The Tua Tagovailoa hype has dies down since the pre- and post-Combine rumors peaked. There’s still a chance the Redskins look to trade down with a team trying to secure Tua, but those teams have other options.

We’re less than a month away from the NFL draft this is still scheduled to happen April 23-25. A lot can change between now and then. What happens with the Redskins 1st round pick this year?

Trade!

NFL Spin Zone

Trade alert: Miami trades the No. 5 and No. 26 picks in Round 1 as well as No. 70 in Round 3 for the No. 2 overall pick from the Washington Redskins

5. Chase Young, EDGE, Ohio State

The Washington Redskins have been linked to Chase Young for the majority of the offseason. This is due to them owning the second overall pick but not needing a quarterback since they believe in 2019 first-round pick Dwayne Haskins. In this mock, they went a different route and risked losing the best edge rusher in the class by making the deal with Miami.

The good news is that even with trading down, they still are able to land the dominant edge-rusher as Young slips to the fifth spot. It’s similar to when the Indianapolis Colts moved from No. 3 to No. 6 in the 2018 NFL Draft as the New York Jets made a jump for Sam Darnold. Indianapolis reportedly still wanted Quenton Nelson from Notre Dame at No. 3 and landed him as well as a stockpile of picks.

Young will be the second pass-rusher that Washington drafts in as many seasons. Last year, they traded back into the first-round to get Montez Sweat from Mississippi State. Sweat looked to be the real deal as a rookie and now adding Young makes Washington one of the better defensive fronts on paper.

26. Denzel Mims, WR, Baylor

For the second time in the first round of this 2020 NFL Mock Draft, the Washington Redskins are on the clock. Originally, this pick belonged to the Houston Texans but they traded it to Miami for offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil. It has to sting a little not to have a third choice but the reward was worth it as they got their quarterback.

For Washington, they’re more than happy to have this selection and it’s the second year in a row that they have two picks in the opening round. It’s also the second year that they end up with the No. 26 pick, which is where they traded to in 2019 for Montez Sweat.

This time, they add to the offensive side of the ball as they select Denzel Mims out of Baylor. No player has raised their stock more than Mims has since the end of the season. He went to the Senior Bowl and stood out as the best receiver. From there, he went to the Scouting Combine and continued to shine.

There are some worries that he could be another Baylor player that doesn’t translate but forgetting the school history would be wise when evaluating Mims.

Chase Young, DE, Ohio State

E$PN+(Kiper)

If Washington is serious about Dwayne Haskins as its unquestioned starter at quarterback, it has to take Young, the clear top pass-rusher in this class and one of the best edge-rushing prospects of the past decade. Ron Rivera already has some talented defenders with whom to work (including Jonathan Allen, Montez Sweat, Landon Collins and free-agent signing Kendall Fuller) and Young could top 10 sacks as a rookie. The big question for the Redskins: Can they get back a decent pick in a Trent Williams trade? He wants out, and they don’t have a second-round pick after moving up for Sweat last year.

CBS Sports(Wilson)

Chase Young is the best player in this draft class and the Redskins have needs up and down the roster.

Round 3: Tee Higgins, WR, Clemson

The Redskins found a gem in the middle rounds last year in Terry McLaurin, and they’ll try to do it again with Higgins, who could go as high as Round 1 or slip to Round 3.

Walter Football(Campbell)

The Redskins take the best player in the 2020 NFL Draft and could form a legendary defensive line with Young, Jonathan Allen, Da’Ron Payne and Montez Sweat. The problem will be retaining them all, but Washington could look to deal with that a few years from now.

Young (6-5, 264) dominated a lot of the opponents Ohio State played this season and missed two games with a suspension. He has some size to him to go along with speed and athleticism off the edge. With his superb first-step, pass-rushing moves, agility, and ability to close, Young looks like a future Pro Bowler who annually produces double-digit sacks. In 2019, Young had 16.5 sacks with 46 tackles, six forced fumbles, three passes batted and a blocked kick. With the way that Young dominated in 2019, he is the top prospect for the 2020 NFL Draft regardless of position.

With Nick Bosa injured for most of 2018, Young took advantage of the opportunity to have a breakout season. In 2018, he recorded 34 tackles with 15.5 tackles for a loss, 10.5 sacks, five passes broken up and two forced fumbles. As a freshman, he totaled 19 tackles with 3.5 sacks and one forced fumble.

Round 3: Denzel Mims, WR, Baylor

The Redskins could use more receiving talent and big-play weapons for Dwayne Haskins.

Mims had 66 catches for 1,020 yards with 12 touchdowns in 2019. He was decent at the Senior Bowl, and helped himself with a fast 40 of 4.38 seconds at the combine. Mims made 55 catches for 794 yards with eight scores in 2019. He was even better as a sophomore with 61 receptions for 1,087 yards and eight touchdowns. Mims (6-2, 206) has good size, and running well in Indianapolis really helped him.

Walter Football

I’ve had the Redskins trading down for the past several updates, but I’ve moved them back to the No. 2 overall pick in the wake of some news Charlie Campbell broke from the Combine. In a recent NFL Hot Press, Charlie wrote that the Redskins are unlikely to trade the No. 2 overall pick.

With that in mind, it’s obvious that the Redskins will select Chase Young. The dynamic edge rusher enjoyed a breakout season in the wake of Nick Bosa’s injury in 2018, and was very dominant this past year. He’s a very athletic edge player with great size (6-5, 265), and it will take a miracle for the Redskins to pass on him at No. 2 overall.

Round 3: Albert Okwuegbunam, TE, Missouri

The Redskins need a tight end to replace Jordan Reed.

The athletic Albert Okwuegbunan had a coming-out party against Georgia and could be the first tight end off the board in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Pick change; previously Tee Higgins, WR

Pro Football Network(Driscoll)

Don’t buy into the rumors, the Washington Redskins like Dwayne Haskins, and they also love pass-rushing phenom Chase Young. It won’t take long before Young is one of the most feared defenders in the NFL.

Round 3: Donovan Peoples-Jones, WR Michigan

Dwayne Haskins is ready for his first full season where he will be the starting quarterback. The Redskins need to arm him with play-makers to give him a fair evaluation.

Draft Wire(Easterling)

This is another no-brainer pick. Unless Washington gets a huge offer from a QB-needy team trying to jump ahead of everyone else on the board, this has to be the selection. Young is the best overall prospect in this year’s class, which makes him a steal anywhere else but No. 1 overall.

Round 3: Bryce Hall, CB, Virginia

DraftTek

The Redskins’ supposed aggressive mentality entering Free Agency didn’t end up amounting to much. Truth be told, the two players that the Redskins were reportedly going to be aggressive in pursuing were Amari Cooper, who took ~$3M less to stay with the Cowboys, and Kenyan Drake, who was transition-tagged by the Cardinals. Kendall Fuller is a nice addition, but the trade of Quinton Dunbar for a measly RD5 pick kind of mitigates Fuller’s potential impact. The Redskins clearly need to add one, if not two, players to their secondary, and also have a gaping hole at TE (why the team didn’t pay top dollar for Austin Hooper, I will never understand).

None of that should affect this pick, though, as when an elite prospect at one of the two most important positions on the field is available, you take him. Chase Young will be the fifth RD1 pick on the Redskins’ defensive line (Kerrigan, Allen, Payne, Sweat), and that’s not even including one of the most underrated DTs in the league in 5th-rounder Matt Ioannidis. The secondary remains a problem, but Young would help.

Round 3: Cole Kmet, TE, Notre Dame

Sports Illustrated(Hanson)

Perhaps Washington will entice the Dolphins, Chargers or another quarterback-needy team to offer up a king’s ransom for the second pick. If Washington doesn’t trade back, Young makes the most sense here. Closing his true sophomore season with six sacks in the final four games, Young built upon his 2018 end-of-season momentum to set an Ohio State record with an FBS-high 16.5 sacks in 2019.

Round 3: Chase Claypool, WR, Notre Dame

Blogging the Boys(Howman)

The Redskins could trade down or maybe even take someone else, but they’d be foolish to pass up the best player in the draft. Young will give them a terrifying pass rush for years.

Round 3: Prince Tega-Wanogho, OT, Auburn

SB Nation(Kadar)

If we’re being honest, Washington doesn’t really need Young. The team is loaded up front with pass rushers Ryan Kerrigan and Montez Sweat, and Jonathan Allen and Da’Ron Payne on the defensive line. But when a player of Young’s caliber is available, he’s impossible to pass on.

NFL.com(Casserly)

The best player in the draft is the perfect pick for the Redskins, who are transitioning to a 4-3 defense under Ron Rivera. With longtime stalwart Ryan Kerrigan set to hit free agency after the 2020 season, Young joins Montez Sweat to give Washington a potent pair of pass-rushing bookends for years to come.

New York Post(Serby)

The quarterback-desperate Dolphins and Chargers will be calling with offers, but if Ron Rivera and company are not blown away, they shouldn’t pass on the draft’s best pass rusher. All bets are off if they have reservations about Dwayne Haskins.

NFL.com(Zierlein)

Young’s physical makeup is rare, as is his junior-year production (16.5 sacks in 12 games). While defensive ends (and former first overall picks) like Jadeveon Clowney and Myles Garrett had the physical tools coming into the league, Young has been out here eating on the field consistently.

Sports Illustrated(Parson)

Chase Young is the pound-for-pound best prospect in this draft. Young is a dominant defensive end who dominated in his final year at Ohio State, racking up 44 tackles and 16.5 sacks. He can be a cornerstone in D.C. for years to come.

Fox Sports(McIntyre)

I can’t be the only one excited for a defensive line featuring Jonathan Allen, Daron Payne, and Young chasing QBs. Toss in Montez Sweat (seven sacks) and Ryan Kerrigan (5.5 sacks), plus the return of Reuben Foster from injury, and they’ll be formidable.

USA Today(Middlehurst-Schwartz)

The new era in Washington was never more evident than this week, when the franchise showed atypical restraint in free agency. Still, there was no deal that should have shifted the course for Young, the havoc-wreaking hometown hero. Landing him without paying big money or parting with other picks will be the true signature move of the offseason.

Sporting News(Iyer)

With defensive-minded Ron Rivera as the new coach, assuming the Redskins do not get a can’t-refuse offer to trade back, they should jump at the chance to get this cornerstone talent for the team’s defensive rebuild. Young (6-5, 264 pounds) is a game-changing disruptor who had 16.5 sacks in only 12 games as a junior. He can produce at an all-around level even higher than that of Nick Bosa, who went No. 2 from the Buckeyes to the 49ers and promptly dominated as SN’s Rookie of the Year.

CBS Sports(Edwards)

After considering a quarterback at No. 2 overall, Washington sticks to the board and adds the draft’s top overall prospect.

Yardbarker(Trachtman)

Young sat out combine tests, likely because the results could only hurt what is sky-high stock right now. He was also unlikely to run at Ohio States Pro Day, if it happens. Incredibly, Young recorded 16.5 sacks through his first 12 games this past season and has a chance to make a huge impact on a Washington defensive line that already has a lot of talent.

Touchdown Wire(Farrar)

The Redskins brought Kendall Fuller back from Kansas City on a four-year, $40 million deal with $10 million guaranteed despite some uninspiring tape during Fuller’s time in Kansas City after the Alex Smith trade. They also released Josh Norman (which was the right call) and traded Quinton Dunbar, their one good cornerback last season, to the Seahawks for a fifth-round pick (which was definitely the wrong call). Not sure what Ron Rivera and the front office is thinking here, but despite this positional shortfall, we think they will reinforce the defensive line with Young, as opposed to taking Ohio State’s Jeff Okudah. In that case, the strategy in the nation’s capital will be to offset a really iffy secondary with all kinds of pressure up front.

CBS Sports(Fornelli)

I toyed with the idea of having the Redskins make a trade or take a QB here, but I just don’t see it happening. Young is the safest player in this draft from a floor perspective, and he could have the highest ceiling as well.

The Draft Network(Reid)

This is another pick that makes way too much sense. The Washington Redskins will do their homework on quarterbacks, as they should, but adding Chase Young to former first-round picks in Montez Sweat, Jonathan Allen and Da’Ron Payne to pair with Matt Ioannidis is too good to pass up.