Getty Washington Commanders defensive end Chase Young celebrates after a big play.
The San Francisco 49ers have one of the strongest rosters in the NFL, but there are still areas the team could improve through a trade. Furthering the depth at defensive end is one of those spots, and that’s where disgruntled Washington Commanders star Chase Young comes in.
San Francisco was recently named a potential suitor for Young by CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin, with the analyst stating that the 49ers may be tempted by both the immediate and long-term upside for Young.
As Heavy’s Lorenzo Reyna recently covered, Young was teammates with 49ers pass rusher Nick Bosa while the two defensive ends were at Ohio State. Reuniting the two could level up the 49ers pass rush, which is already one of the better units in the NFL.
In order to make a deal work, San Francisco would need to trade picks or players. Considering the 49ers’ roster quality, dealing out a wide receiver like Jauan Jennings may be more sensible than giving up the limited drift capital the team possesses.
Jennings has become a solid role player, but isn’t going to breakout as long as Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel and George Kittle are the top three passing targets. The Commanders have two solid receivers in Jahan Dotson and Terry McLaurin, but could use a target like Jennings in the mix.
Young Struggles with Commanders
Coming out of Ohio State, it felt inevitable that Young would become a national NFL star. At 6’5″ and 264 pounds, Young has elite size and athleticism while putting up 17.5 sacks in his final season with the Buckeyes.
But Young’s NFL career has been far more lackluster than most would’ve expect. After a solid rookie year with 7.5 sacks and four forced fumbles, Young has played just 12 games over the last two seasons and has just 1.5 sacks in that span according to Pro Football Reference.
His absence was due to an ACL tear, which is the major red flag for the 49ers in terms of making a move. Young had just three games after recovering during 2022 to get back in the groove and it did not happen.
It’s a reason to be wary of a move, but Young’s potential is such that it could be worth the gamble.
Jennings Finds Feet with 49ers
After his college career at Tennessee, Jennings joined San Francisco in the seventh round of the 2020 NFL draft. Injury forced Jennings to miss his rookie season, but he recovered in a big way over the past two years.
While he’s not in a starring role, Jennings has established himself as a reliable, big target that provides something different from Aiyuk and the rest of the 49ers’ receivers. PFR shows that he has six touchdowns on 59 catches, essentially averaging a touchdown per 10 receptions as one of San Francisco’s red zone targets.
Jennings is useful, but the 49ers are not in a position where they absolutely need him. Considering he’s entering the last year of his rookie deal (like Young,) it could be a good time to cash out.
This would make no sense whatsoever for the Commanders. First, Washington already has great depth at wide receiver, so they don’t a have a need there.
Second, the Commanders DO NEED defensive ends. If Chase Young is “worth the gamble” to other teams like the 49ers, why wouldn’t he be worth it to the Commanders?
The trade talk around Young is nonsense. The Commanders have him cheaply in a prove-it contract year, and if he balls out, they get a great investment. And then they can franchise tag him next year if necessary. Of he doesn’t ball out this year, they didn’t lose much by letting it play out.