Chase Young - DE (Washington Commanders)
The Chase Young situation is going to be one to watch this summer as we creep closer to the 2023 season. The Commanders recently declined Young's fifth-year option, and they have a lot of money tied up between Jonathan Allen and D'Aron Payne, it seems unlikely Young will be sticking around D.C. for very long.
Young's rookie season made many people believe he was the next great pass rusher in the NFL. He recorded seven and a half sacks and forced four fumbles as a greenhorn in the league and was named the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Since 2020, however, Young's career has been filled with injuries, most notably an ACL injury late in the 2021 season, which caused him to miss the final seven games of that season, as well as being put on the PUP list to start 2022; Young would not return to play until week 16 of this past season.
Young would benefit greatly from a change of scenery, and the Vikings seem like a logical destination. Danielle Hunter's contract situation has, once again, caused doubts about his future with the Vikings, and new Minnesota pass rusher Marcus Davenport is coming off his worst year as a professional, where he only recorded half a sack in a full season of play as a member of the New Orleans Saints.
It's also a possibility that the Vikings could move Davenport inside as a 3-4 defensive end, which would leave Patrick Jones II and D.J. Wonnum as the only experienced pass rushers on the roster, along with Hunter.
If this happens and Young is able to stay healthy, the former Ohio State Buckeye could find himself starting for Minnesota opposite Hunter in Week 1.