Commander Country

Chase Continues to Impress

When you're the No. 2 overall pick in the NFL Draft, you don't need to be humble but you can be. That's Chase Young of the Washington Redskins.

Chris Russell

Chase Young is coming back home to play for the Washington Redskins and if you don't already know everything about Young, here's what you should know.

As great of a pass rusher and sack artist as he is, he's just as good stopping the run. It's such an important part of football (still) no matter what all of the analytics community believes.

“It’s definitely a big part of my game. I know throughout the weeks when I get prepared for games, I would take [Ohio State Head] Coach [Ryan] Day twice a week after practice. The first thing that we would watch to prepare for that game that week is the top five runs of our opponent that weekend," Young explained to RedskinsReport.com's question. 

"That next day I would go into practice calling out plays, in the run game. And I think that’s why my game really excelled even more because I knew if it was a run. Play recognition when I would study film. I knew, if it’s this formation, 80 percent run. I knew, if it was this formation, it was going to be 20 percent run," Young said. 

"I feel like, play recognition throughout my run game, and obviously from my freshman year to junior year, I got a lot stronger. My balance has gotten a lot better. My hand placement, my lockout has gotten a lot better since my junior year. I feel like I play the run real good, I feel like I play double teams real good, I feel like I play pulling guards real good, if you go back and watch film. You know obviously, you know, where you get your money is, they say, per se, is sacks," Young opined. 

"That’s the flashiness of the defensive lineman. So, I feel like those sacks maybe overshadow what I do in the run game. But I feel like those people that know ball for real, when you go back and just watch my film of my run game, I feel like they know what I do in the run game.”

Yup. They do. Remember when former Redskins General Manager Scot McCloughan compared Young to the legendary Reggie White? Most of that was because of his run prowess, frame and ability to play any style.

While Young compares himself most favorably to Julius Peppers, another No. 2 overall pick who had an illustrious career, the one thing that also jumps out to me is his humble personality. 

I must be honest. I was expecting more of a rock star and while I know some are poking fun at his sunglasses at night celebration, I have been super impressed by his confident yet not cocky nature. 

The way he answers questions seems genuine and thoughtful. The way he greets people he doesn't know or congratulations messages seems beyond sincere. 

He took the time moments after being drafted last week to thank fans that were outside of his home. Redskins fans. 

Everything seems legitimate if you just a book by the cover, which is all many of us have right now. 

I've covered many athletes over the last quarter century. Some were real, many were not. 

Watch for yourself from Monday's ZOOM video conference with reporters including RedskinsReport.com

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Chris Russell is the Publisher of RedskinsReport.com & Sports Illustrated's Washington Redskins channel. He can be heard on 106.7 The FAN in the Washington D.C. area and world-wide on Radio.com. Chris also hosts the "Locked on Redskins" Podcast and can be read via subscription to Warpath Magazine. You can e-mail Chris at russellmania09@Gmail.com or follow him on Twitter at @Russellmania621.

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Chris Russell
CHRIS RUSSELL

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