Chase Young falling is Giants’ best hope for elite NFL Draft 2020 edge-rusher

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As the losses mounted last season, what at first was a faint murmur grew louder and more pronounced. Yes, the Giants stink, but all this badness will at least bring back Chase Young as a reward. Well, that is not going to happen, unless something strange goes down in the April 23 draft. Young, the …

As the losses mounted last season, what at first was a faint murmur grew louder and more pronounced. Yes, the Giants stink, but all this badness will at least bring back Chase Young as a reward.

Well, that is not going to happen, unless something strange goes down in the April 23 draft. Young, the Ohio State edge-rusher, is in the mold of the Bosa brothers (Joey and Nick) and Myles Garrett and Bradley Chubb as a high first-round prospect who rarely gets past the first few picks. This year, after the Bengals presumably take quarterback Joe Burrow, the Redskins are expected to scoop up Young.

Unless they do not. Then, at No. 3, the Lions would take Young, unless something crazy takes place.

A.J. Epenesa and Chase YoungGetty Images, AP

Seeing Young on the board at No. 4 for the Giants is a sight that will have to be seen to be believed. If he goes to the Redskins, and the Giants spend the next several years trying to keep him off Daniel Jones, the 41-35 victory over the Redskins in Week 16 that tipped the draft order will be mentioned many times by Giants fans, and not in complimentary terms.

Finding a way to get heat on the opposing quarterback was a problem in 2019 and, unless new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham can manufacture pressure through his schemes and designs, it will again be a problem in 2020. The sack leader last season was Markus Golden with 10 and he remains unsigned and on the market. The returning sack leaders are Lorenzo Carter and Oshane Ximines, with 4.5 apiece.

The free-agent market proved to be too expensive and the top players were hit with the franchise tag, a development the Giants expected. They did sign Kyler Fackrell, an outside linebacker from the Packers. They hope he can be the player he was in 2018 (10.5) sacks and not the player he was in 2019 (one sack, although in reduced snaps he did have good pressure percentages). That is about it. There is not much there as far as proven ability to get sacks and hits and hurries. What was a failing a year ago could be one again.

This is not an especially deep draft for edge-rushers. Perhaps the second day of the draft could produce a prospect such as A.J. Epenesa (Iowa), Yetur Gross-Matos (Penn State), Julian Okwara (Notre Dame) or Terrell Lewis (Alabama). All have potential, but none of them is Chase Young.