Three years ago, the Lions were one pick -- and one loss -- shy of potentially drafting Chase Young second overall. Could they trade for him now?
The Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2020, Young is on the trade block after the Commanders declined his fifth-year option earlier this offseason. And he might not cost more than a mid-round pick or two.
The betting favorite to land him, should he be moved? The NFC North-favorite Detroit Lions, with 4-1 odds, per BetOnline.ag.
Take all of this with a grain of salt. Not long ago, the Lions were the favorites to land DeAndre Hopkins, per the same source, and now they're not even among his ten most likely landing spots. (The Titans, Browns and Bills are the three favorites.)
But for a defense that finished last in the NFL a year ago and looks mostly the same up front, Young makes some sense. He still has the makings of an elite pass rusher. If the Lions believe he can recover his rookie form, they have the incentive and cap space to go get him. They also have an extra third-round pick in 2024, for what it's worth.
Young had 7.5 sacks as a rookie, but was much less effective the next year before tearing his ACL that November. He didn't return to action until the final three games of last season. He has 1.5 sacks in 12 games over the last two years and comes with an $11 million cap hit this year, after which he'll be a free agent.
It's no guarantee that Young gets traded. By declining his fifth-year option, the Commanders were just avoiding a $17.5 million commitment to him in 2024. No team wants to dump a player three years after drafting him second overall. Then again, the Lions just dumped Jeff Okudah, who went one pick after Young, in a trade with the Falcons.
Maybe it's one Buckeye out in Detroit, one Buckeye in.
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