Though the New Orleans Saints signed Chase Young to a one-year deal in the offseason, the team has not guaranteed the 2020 Defensive Rookie of the Year a starting spot on the defensive line. Per the recently released 1st depth chart, Young shares starting duties with Carl Granderson. After neck surgery, Young should be eager to prove that he can still contribute to winning. The Saints are Chase Young's third team in two years, as well, which should also push him to show teams why they need him around for the long term.
On Monday, the Saints released their first unofficial depth chart leading to the new season. On the chart, Chase Young sits in the same starting spot as Granderson, per Nick Underhill on X, formerly Twitter.
Chase Young's spot on the Saints
As a former No.2 overall pick, Chase Young was poised for a strong career right off the bat. However, he has struggled to find any consistency, partly due to injuries, and the Washington Commanders traded him to the San Francisco 49ers. Since then, he has played nine games for the 49ers before he signed with the Saints as a free agent. When Young gets it going, though, he looks like an absolute stud on the field, which was why the Saints took an interest in him. Maybe having him share a starting position was the Saints sprinkling caution into their confidence.
What's next for the Saints?
Last season, the Saints posted a 9-8 record, and they aimed to fill in their defensive needs in the offseason. Their previous linebacker Zack Baun played effective snaps throughout the season, but he decided to take his services to the Philadelphia Eagles in free agency.
Besides Young, the Saints also focused on tooling up on defense by signing Granderson, Payton Turner, Cameron Jordan, Isaiah Foskey, Tanoh Kpassagnon, and Niko Lalos. Moreover, Young's one-year contract worth $13 million is a prove-it deal, and his first chance to do so would be to earn a full-time starting job.
Asked about his potential contribution to the Saints defense, Young said, “My goal is just go be the best Chase Young I can be. I definitely plan to add a good piece to be a part of this defense.”
The OSU standout had torn his ACL and patellar tendon on his right knee on Week 10 of the 2021 season. In 2022, he returned to the field for three games before playing for 16 games last season. He also played in three playoff games as the 49ers advanced to the Super Bowl. He had a sack and two quarterback hits as they lost to the Kansas City Chiefs, 25-22.
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