Chase Young
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New Orleans Saints edge rusher Chase Young.
The career arc of 2020 No. 2 overall pick Chase Young is becoming something unusual in the annals of NFL history.
Young, drafted by the Washington Commanders, came out of the gates like a man on fire, winning NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year and helping lead his team into the playoffs in his 1st season with 44 tackles, 7.5 sacks, 10 TFL, 4 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery, 4 pass deflections, and 1 defensive touchdown.
Six years later, Young is still 1 of the NFL’s top-tier edge rushers — the problem was most of the time in between — but he’s somehow found his way back into elite status and big-money deals, just with the New Orleans Saints on a 3-year, $51 million contract ESPN’s Bill Barnwell praised in his annual NFL trade valuations list.
“Young had his best season as a pro (in 2026) racking up 10 sacks in 12 games for Brandon Staley’s defense,” Barnwell wrote. “If the once highly touted prospect can keep that up this season, his $17 million salary would be a relative bargain.”
Chase Young Praised for Breakout Season
After securing the first big-time payday of his career, Young delivered the best season of his career with 10.0 sacks in just 12 games for the Saints, who were one of the NFL’s most-improved teams down the stretch under rookie head coach Kellen Moore.
Now, Young’s deal is being singled out as one of the NFL’s “Best Free Agent Signings” of the 2025 cycle by PFF’s Bradley Locker.
It’s a far cry from when Young’s time with the Commanders ended midway through the 2023 season as one of the biggest busts in franchise history.
“The Saints made a rarely large move when they retained Young on a three-year, $51 million contract to prevent him from leaving,” Locker wrote. “In turn, Young absolutely dominated when on the field with an 86.3 PFF pass-rush grade and a 15.2% pass-rush win rate. The former No. 2 overall pick appears to have settled into form with the Saints.”