ASHBURN — Carla Young is a tough grader.
She just gave her son, Washington rookie defensive end Chase Young, a C+ after assessing his performance so far this season. She made her reasons clear, too.
“She said that (it was because) I’m not leading the league in sacks,” Young said.
The second overall pick in this year’s NFL draft said he had no choice but to “take it on the chin,” adding that he was going to improve those numbers.
Almost halfway through the season, Young has just 2½ sacks — all coming during Washington’s first two weeks.
That doesn’t mean Young is ineffective, even if mom wants more.
According to Pro Football Focus, Young is the analytics website’s highest-graded rookie this season. He’s been productive in blowing up the run, chasing down runners and creating enough pressure that has allowed his other teammates to thrive.
Young, his teammates and his coaches are all convinced: Keep playing like this, and it’s only a matter of time before Young gets his hands on the quarterback.
“He’s done a lot,” linebacker Jon Bostic said. “The stat sheet won’t exactly show everything he is doing, but when you understand football and you turn that film on, you know he’s a problem over there.”
“The numbers will come,” defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio said.
Young’s impact can be most seen in the run game, Bostic said. The defensive end has been dominant in setting the edge, which means keeping the play from breaking outside. His ability to slip tackles using his quick-twitch allows him to explode to the backfield — where he’s recorded five tackles for loss. That’s second among rookies, despite Carolina’s Derrick Brown (6) having played two more games than Young.
Bostic added Young’s intelligence in recognizing plays has also made a difference. That particularly shows up on screen plays as Young reacts quickly to sniffing plays out. Young has even been asked occasionally to drop back in coverage on zone blitzes — a role that Washington would generally like to avoid, but feel that Young can handle if need be. “When you talk about a well-rounded defensive end, that’s what you’re looking for,” Bostic said.
Still, even without sacks, Young has been disruptive in the passing game. Already, opposing offenses are doing all that they can to try and limit Young: Double teams, chips, you name it.
The extra attention, however, has freed up those around him. Specifically, Jonathan Allen and Montez Sweat have feasted in one-on-one matchups. Sweat leads Washington with five sacks, while Allen has helped collapse pockets quickly.
Young’s pressure is also helping create turnovers. Three weeks ago, when Kendall Fuller picked off New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones in the corner of the end zone, it was Young who was right in Jones’ face — forcing him to stumble back and make an errant throw. Against the Los Angeles Rams, Young similarly sped up the play as quarterback Jared Goff rushed his throw and was intercepted by Fuller.
“I’m not tripping about this or that,” Young said when asked about his versatility. “Whatever the team needs me to do, I’ll do.”
Coach Ron Rivera noted that Young’s start was partly slowed down by the groin injury that caused him to miss all of Week 4’s loss against the Baltimore Ravens and most of the week prior in Cleveland. But Rivera said he’s encouraged by the way Young has responded, highlighting his effort in practice.
Rivera thinks Young is close to a breakout, telling reporters that the 21-year-old will have to continue to grow.
“He can’t get frustrated because that’s one of the things that happens with young players,” Rivera said. “They want to explode onto the scene. First of all, he plays a position where (opponents) pay attention to him. He’s a rush end. … They’re just not going to let him go screaming off of the edge.”
For now, Young isn’t fazed. He realizes that ultimately, sacks are what get defensive ends paid. Late last month, he even broke out an imitation of how his mother yells in a soft but hoarse voice when she eggs him on to get to the passer. “’Sack! A Sack! I need a sack!’” Young said, his eyes bugling wide.
When he’s tired on the field, Young said he thinks of his mom’s push to keep him motivated.
“I can’t look like no sucker for my mom,” he said.
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