Chase Young: Washington 'Could Be Top Defense In NFL'

They have a long way to go but the road is getting paved every day and the cornerstone pieces are in place for the Washington Football Team.

ASHBURN, Va. -- Chase Young was back and everything was right for the Washington Football Team on Tuesday.

READ MORE: Mini Camp Observations - Tuesday

Now, what does the future hold for Young and the WFT defense? Does it include dominance?

"I feel like you've got to have a vision. You've got to have something that you want it to look like and you've got to be working towards something," Young told Washington SI and other media on Tuesday from the WFT minicamp.

"It is called manifestation. I feel like if you look on paper, we could be the top defense in the league.''

In order to be great or the top defense in the league, Washington is going to have to improve against the run and can't have the kind of letdowns it experienced in 2020 against pedestrian attacks like the New York Giants (without Saquon Barkley) and the Seahawks (with an inconsistent running back group).

And, they can't get lit up by the higher-octane offenses that they are going to face constantly this year, as they did in the playoff loss to the eventual Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Bucs.

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In that game, the defense - keyed by then-rookie Young - allowed 507 yards and 31 points to Tom Brady and the boys, including 142 on the ground.

We asked Young if he is able to forecast "dominance'' here. Not just being "good,'' which Washington was a year ago. We posed the question that way because wanted to gauge how confident he is.

He answered it perfectly. There is a goal, and there is enough stated wiggle room to keep the bulletin-board-material bullseye off your back.

There's no doubt that Washington's defense is better on paper this year than when we last saw it on that cold January night. New corner William Jackson III will help, a lot. Rookie linebacker Jamin Davis should play an integral role. Getting Matt Ioannidis back should certainly assist.

And a healthy Young - slowed in the first half of last season by a hip injury that he said was worse than Washington ever let on - can be better, too.

"Now we just have to do it and put it on the field,'' Young said. "That is just every day working and just holding each other accountable."