Commanders Pro Bowl DE Chase Young named 'overrated' player ahead of 2022 NFL season

It goes without saying that Washington Commanders star defensive end Chase Young did not enjoy the type of sophomore NFL season he likely envisioned last September. 

The second overall selection from the 2020 draft earned a Pro Bowl nod and Defensive Rookie of the Year honors after he notched 7.5 sacks in his debut pro campaign but then accumulated just 1.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and four quarterback hits over fewer than nine total games last fall before he went down with a torn ACL and MCL in the middle of November. 

It was learned last week that Young will miss at least the first four games of the upcoming season while on the physically unable to perform list, but that didn't stop ESPN from predicting for a piece published Monday morning that he will finish the 2022 campaign as the league's 64th-best overall player. 

"Among qualified players that played in 2020 & 2021, Young is one of four players to have a pass rush win rate over 20% (21%) and a rush stop win rate over 30% (30.2%) with (Aaron) Donald, Chris Jones and J.J. Watt," ESPN explained about Young's ranking. 

Despite those numbers, NFL analyst Matt Bowen wrote that he believes Young is one of several "overrated" players on the ESPN list. 

"Young has the physical profile and traits of an upper-tier edge player in the league," Bowen noted. "Based on the tape, however, the Commanders defensive end needs more refinement in his pass-rush technique. And Young is still recovering from a torn ACL he suffered last season. With more game reps, Young has the skill set to develop into a top-50 player in this league, it just might take more time."

Ralph Vacchiano of Fox Sports reported last week that "Young is not expected back until closer to midseason." If that's the case, it's difficult to imagine the 23-year-old will be a top 64 player as it pertains to on-the-field impact.