Chase Young is living up to all the potential we saw coming out of Ohio State that made him the second overall pick. He’s gotten better each of his three seasons in a New Orleans Saints uniform, and we’re currently seeing the best version of Young. This is right off the heels of seeing the best version of Young last year.
The big question in 2025 was could Young translate his high pressure numbers into sacks, and he did that by delivering his first 10 sack season. The only question this year was could the edge rusher maintain his performance and stay healthy for a full season. The latter won’t be answered until the season is over, but Young has been one of the best pass rushers in the league through three games.
Had he not been robbed of the sack against Jared Goff Young would be second in the league, but his 3.5 sacks is still good for fourth. He’s also 10th in the league with 15 pressures, with the third least amount of pass rushes in that top 10. Young has been exceptional this year, and his third down pass rushing is where he’s truly set himself apart.
Chase Young has been at his best in the Saints’ critical downs
Part of being a big time player is raw stats, and Young has that, but the other part is when do you make your plays. The latter is arguably more important. Through 3 games, Young has been the most productive in critical moments.
In last week’s action versus the Raiders, Young recorded a strip sack in the fourth quarter on the Raiders’ final true offensive possession. The ball immediately bounced off a helmet and into the hands of a Raider, but that had game changing ability.
The Saints were spiraling offensively and had turned the ball over on three straight possessions. Raiders were still on their side of the field and a recovery there could’ve swung the momentum.
Even without the recovery, the sack gave the Saints offense one last chance to even the score. If the Raiders get a first down on that play, they can kneel out the clock. It’s one of the biggest plays Young has made this year, and it continued the theme of timeliness in his game.
That sack came on third down, and that’s become regular for Young. Of his 15 pressures, 10 of them have come on third downs, per NextGen Stats. That’s the most in the league.
It also means two-thirds of Young’s pressures have come on critical downs, and all but one of his sacks have come on third down. When it’s time to get teams off the field, Young has been at his best, and that’s what you want from your best players. It's one of the biggest, yet understated, reasons Young is growing into one of the NFL's top edge rushers.
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