Top Free Agent Fits For 49ers DE Chase Young

Chase Young’s market this year will be a fascinating one to follow. After being traded to San Francisco from Washington at the trade deadline, Young failed to make a major impact during their run to the Super Bowl. After multiple injury-shortened seasons, Young’s list of suitors may be shorter than expected, though his pedigree as the No. 2 overall pick and Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2020 will aid his value.

Young was one of the most athletic edge rushers in the NFL and proved during his rookie season he can translate that to the NFL field. When approaching free agency, teams often place a high premium on their initial evaluations of players coming out of college. Young was one of the highest-graded edge rushing prospects in recent memory by most evaluators, and that will carry weight even to this day. He’s also still just 25 this year and in theory has plenty of potential. 

But the injury concerns and underwhelming 2023 tape are too much to just gloss over. Ultimately, it’s unlikely that many, if any, teams will be looking to sign him to a long-term contract, at least not at a number that Young finds acceptable. Instead, there should be a lot of interest from both other teams and Young in a one-year deal for moderate money. If Young plays well, he could cash in with a bigger payday in a future year.

Young, 24, was a two-year starter at Ohio State and was a first-team All-American when Washington used the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft on him. He was later named the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year for the 2020 season.

Young signed a four-year, $34,563,594 rookie contract that included a $22,697,160 signing bonus. The contract included a fifth year for Washington to pick up for the 2024 season, which they opted to decline.

The team then traded him to the 49ers at the deadline for a compensatory third-round pick. 

In 2023, Young appeared in seven games for the Commanders and nine games for the 49ers. He recorded 25 total tackles, seven tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks and two pass deflections. 

We have him included in our Top 100 – 2024 NFL Free Agents list.

Colts

Colts GM Chris Ballard prizes athleticism more than any of his peers. Indianapolis’s 2023 draft class had the highest Relative Athletic Score (RAS) since that metric was developed. Who better to take a flyer on an uber-athletic pass rusher? The Colts have a solid group of edge defenders but need to add a regular contributor, and Young would slide right in as a key piece of their rotation.

Improving the passing game on both sides of the ball is Indy’s top priority this offseason. The Colts struggled defending the pass last season, due in large part to the late-round and undrafted rookies and second-year players they were forced to start for much of the year. Adding a quality starter, either through the draft or free agency, is a priority, as is adding to the receiving core. The Colts don’t have much at wide receiver outside of Michael Pittman Jr. and Josh Downs for 2023 first-round QB Anthony Richardson to throw to and try to pick up where he left off.

Signing Young would allow Indianapolis to spend its premier draft capital on wide receivers and corners. Young is big, athletic and dependable against the run, all things Ballard prizes in his edge rushers. While Young would be unlikely to start on the Colts’ line, he’d be set up for a key role, and could parlay that into a big payday in future years if he’s productive while in Indy.

Jaguars

The Jaguars have been trying to fortify their edge rusher rotation for some time now, as they’ve gotten subpar production from the position and need an upgrade. Josh Allen had an elite season after the Jaguars took a chance letting him play out an expiring contract, and they were forced to use the franchise tag on him. His future in Jacksonville is in question. The No. 1 pick in 2022, Travon Walker notched 10 sacks in his second season, but hasn’t been a consistent impact player yet. Adding Young to the mix would provide solid rotational production while being a real breakout candidate, something that could be appealing to the Jaguars.

After winning a playoff game in the 2022 season, Jacksonville took a step back in 2023, failing to win the division. This coaching staff and front office believes in QB Trevor Lawrence, but it’s time for the rest of the roster to step up if they want to get back into the thick of the AFC race in 2024. Jacksonville has needs at wide receiver, along the offensive line, and scattered around the defense to address.

If Ballard is the GM most enticed by athleticism, Jaguars GM Trent Baalke isn’t far behind. He took the athletic project at edge rusher in Walker over the proven producer in Michigan’s Aidan Hutchinson, following his history of prizing athletic traits and potential above all else. Young fits the type of prospect that appeals to Baalke, and Jacksonville needs the help off the edge.

Rams

For the Rams, adding talent across a young roster is the name of the game this offseason. Rams QB Matthew Stafford returns, as do DT Aaron Donald and WR Cooper Kupp. These three veteran stars anchor a group that found many quality rookies across the roster, most notably WR Puka Nacua. Adding affordable veteran contributors to supplement what should be another large rookie class seems the most likely route the Rams will take. With edge rusher being their biggest need, Young is the perfect free agent target for them.

Coming off a wild card playoff season, Los Angeles is looking to retool quickly and make a deeper playoff run as soon as this year. Their star core isn’t long before retirement, and this may even be the final year the Rams have with all three in the fold. If a second Super Bowl is to be in the cards for them, they need to upgrade the roster immediately. Rams GM Les Snead and HC Sean McVay have moved past the “all in” mentality so while the playoff push this year is important, they don’t appear ready to sacrifice the future to achieve it.

2023 third-rounder Byron Young was a great find, but he’s the only edge defender of note on the roster. Chase Young would be an excellent addition, likely supplementing a high draft pick, to form the basis of Los Angeles’s edge rusher rotation in 2024. The potential for him to become a piece the Rams can build around long-term is only a bonus. Truthfully they might be just as likely to let him walk after a big season and collect a comp pick.

Right now, though, they need guys who can contribute on a playoff push, and Young fits that description.