Chase Young Declares Himself the Best Player in the 2020 Draft and He's Definitely Right

The NFL Draft is less than two weeks away, which means we don't have to wait much longer to see where the top players at the collegiate level will begin their professional jounreys. The foregone conclusion heading into draft night is that the Cincinnati Bengals will select LSU quarterback Joe Burrow with the first overall pick. So, the issue's settled about who the best prospect is, right?

Not if you ask Ohio State defensive end Chase Young. This week, he wanted to remind football fans that he's the best player in the draft class. And all things considered, the kid is right.

"Yes, definitely," said Young, via ESPN, when asked if he's the cream of the 2020 prospect crop. "I know I'm the best, definitely."

In many other years, Young would have immediately been in the conversation to be the first player selected. Given Burrow's meteoric rise to stardom in 2019 and the Bengals' dire need of a shot of energy to jump-start their rebuild, however, things changed. That shouldn't take a single thing away from the Buckeye superstar, however.

Ohio State proved to be a breeding ground for edge rushers, with Joey and Nick Bosa being the prime examples in these most recent years. Young exceeded them at every leve in Columbus, howeverl. This past season, he set the OSU record for most sacks in a season with 16.5, while also tallying 46 tackles, six forced fumbles, and three passes defensed. He even had the rare distinction of being named a Heisman Trophy finalist despite playing on the defensive side of the ball.

It wasn't just this past campaign where Young showed his ability to be a nuisance to opposing quarterbacks, of course. Since 2018, Young has posted 131 total pressures on the offense, which is 12 more than any other eligible player in that same time frame, per Pro Football Focus.

Young is such a special player that some draft experts have called him one of the best prospects they've ever evaluated. He's been the recipient of truly superlative compliments, from being better than both Bosa brothers to being comparable to New York Giants legend and Hall of Famer Michael Strahan.

There was a reason why NFL teams were "Chasing for Chase" in 2019, and the winners appear to be the Washington Redskins, but only if they select him with the second overall pick. Whoever drafts Young will get a once in a generation pass rusher for the next decade.

Congratulations to whoever does so.