What might a Chase Young trade cost the Lions
Let's go back in time for a moment shall we? All the way back to the 2020 NFL Draft. The player that Lions fans were clamoring for was Ohio State's Chase Young. Sadly everyone knew that couldn't happen because there was no way he'd make it to the third pick. The Lions wound up taking […]
Let's go back in time for a moment shall we? All the way back to the 2020 NFL Draft. The player that Lions fans were clamoring for was Ohio State's Chase Young. Sadly everyone knew that couldn't happen because there was no way he'd make it to the third pick.
The Lions wound up taking an Ohio State product when they took Jeff Okudah. Three years later, Okudah has now been traded to the Falcons and the Commanders are open to trading Chase Young. Surprisingly the spot that many seem to think he'll wind up is Detroit.
What exactly would the Lions have to give up to make bring the 2020 defensive rookie of the year to Detroit? Let's take a look at some examples.
There hasn't been any major trades for defensive ends in a while, but maybe we can use some of the more recent trades as guide to figure out what the Lions might have to pay. Interestingly enough, they're both Colts trades.
First there's the Yannick Ngakoue trade from last season. This didn't cost the Colts too much. They sent corner Rock Ya-Sin to the Raiders in exchange. Ya-Sin wound up starting nine games for the Raiders last season. Neither team chose to bring either play back after the season.
Then there's the Colts trade for DeForrest Buckner. The Colts gave the 49ers the 13th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft to acquire Buckner. That's a pretty steep price.
While Young did win the rookie of the year award in 2020 he has dealt with some injury issues that have caused him to miss time over the last two seasons. With that in mind, that should put Youngs value somewhere in between Buckner and Ngakoue. That should favor the Lions.
If the Lions were to offer up a 2024 third round pick, they should be able to get the Commanders to part with him. That would be a perfect price for the Lions considering that they have an extra third round pick that they scored from the Vikings in the TJ Hockenson trade.
Bringing in Young could help define the edge rushing room they have right now. While they're set with Aidan Hutchinson on one side of the line, the other side is something of a question mark. At least when it comes to a full time role. The Lions definitely have guys that can flex in and out in different situations. Young could come in and flex around himself until he can get back to the Chase Young he was expected to be before injuries took him out.
At the end of the day, the Lions have a really good shot at getting this done because they're one of the only teams out there that can afford to do it and have the assets to get it done. Will they do it? That's a whole other question that's difficult to answer. The Lions defensive line is the one place that the team might feel the best about on the defensive side of the ball.
Should they do it? I say yes. The Lions are expected to contend in 2023. Why not go all in on making sure that happens?
Featured image by Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports
