When you watch Ohio State DE Chase Young in action, it's easy to see his game translating to the next level in 2020. If he does declare for the NFL Draft -- Young told TMZ Sports his plan is to return to Columbus for his senior year and then clarified that comment -- there's no doubt he will be considered the best prospect in the draft class.
And that's not just this writer saying this. It's coaches, players, and experts all thinking the same thing.
The Post's Steve Serby spoke to multiple individuals who have worked with or studied Young, and have seen the havoc he wreaks on a football field every Saturday. Former Ohio State standout and current Redskins QB Dwayne Haskins got to see it up close and personal during his college days.
"He's like one of those game-wrecker, game-breaker Khalil Mack-type of players where you'd have to be responsible for him in a game, if not he will disrupt the game," Haskins told Serby.
ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit, who has the Giants taking Young at No. 2 overall in his first mock draft, said in his piece that he's the best defensive end prospect he's seen since Von Miller left Texas A&M for the 2011 Draft. And he told Serby the exact same thing Haskins did.
"Just a game-wrecker," Herbstreit said. "He's a complete player. For a big man, he's as good of a pass rusher as I've seen. Whoever gets him, they're getting a guy that can step right in, very similar to what Joey and Nick Bosa have done, step right in and they're ready to contribute and be a dominant player."
The Bosa brothers were also Buckeyes, and made immediate impacts when they entered the NFL. Urban Meyer was the head coach at Ohio State during their time there, and he sees the same level of quickness, power and flat out dominance he saw in the Bosas when evaluating Young.
"I expect him to have a similar impact as the Bosas. He will become one of the best in the NFL," Meyer said.
"Chase Young may be the most naturally gifted of all three. He has an incredible gift of size, speed and athleticism. Big men rarely can flip their hips as well as Chase. He can turn on a 90-degree angle."
With these endorsements -- and there's many more where that came from -- it's safe to say the Giants simply can't pass up on Young if they have the chance come April 2020. Giants GM Dave Gettleman loves his hog mollies on both sides of the ball, and he took the top prospect in the draft two years ago when he selected Saquon Barkley.
But Barkley, who no doubt was a can't-miss prospect, was a luxury for the Giants at the time. In Young's case, he's an absolute necessity.
Through 14 games this season, the Giants have totaled 32 sacks. That ranks 22nd in the NFL. And more than a quarter of that total comes from Markus Golden, who has nine sacks.
Gettleman didn't address a pass rusher in the 2019 draft until the third round, when he took a shot on Old Dominion stud Oshane Ximines. He has 4.5 sacks on the year, which isn't bad, but not the game-changing type of play Young is expected to give his NFL team. Lorenzo Carter was also supposed to take a leap forward in his sophomore season, and has only 3.5 sacks this season.
Of course, sacks don't tell the whole picture, but Young's 16.5 through 11 games so far this season shows his effectiveness in getting the quarterback to the ground. He also has two more potential games to add to that total as the Buckeyes vie for a national title.
If Young is drafted by Big Blue, he will be thrown right into the mix on the edge, and NFL Network analyst Brian Baldinger knows he could be put into any stance on either side of the line. You'll feel his presence either way.
"I think you can do a lot of things with him, I think you can play him on the right side, left side, stand him up, put him down," Baldinger said. "I think he's got a lot of flexibility like that, which is OK, it's not necessary. But I just think that when he turns the corner, he looks like a real thoroughbred turning the corner. And that's really what you need, because the sacks will come."
Baldinger mentioned how he played with greats like Reggie White and Randy White -- players that forced offensive lines to show them extra attention and still found a way to be disruptive. That's what he thinks the Giants need, and they can find that in Young.
"You could tell when they were there, when they weren't there," Baldinger said of both Reggie and Randy. "And I just think the Giants need that guy on defense to turn this thing around."
At No. 2 overall at the point, the Giants would likely scoop him up. The Bengals need a quarterback and Heisman winner Joe Burrow is probably that man for them. But with two games left in the regular season, the Giants could drastically change their draft position depending on how the results shake out.
There are still factors that need to work themselves out, but one thing is certain: the Giants need Chase Young. He checks every single box, and if you need one more person to tell you, ESPN's Paul Finebaum puts it perfectly.
"Absolutely dynamic," he says. "Reminds me a lot of Khalil Mack. I believe he is a generational player."
It's enough said, but there will certainly be more praise for Young in the coming months and when he makes his impact in the NFL.