Remember the ‘Is Chase Young a Dolphins scheme fit’ debate? Here is Young’s take.
Back when the Dolphins had a good shot at a top-three pick, there was a raging Twitter debate about whether Ohio State’s Chase Young, the 4-3 defensive end, would fit in Brian Flores’ multiple-front defense.
If you don’t remember the details, just know it was a thing — so much so that Flores was asked a question about it during a regular-season news conference.
“If it’s a good player, the scheme is a scheme versatile defense,” Flores said at the time. “If we have a good player, we’ll fit — we’ll make it work for set player. That goes at any position; we got a good coaching staff, a lot of creative minds here. We try to put our players in position to make plays. If Lawrence Taylor is available, we would fit the scheme for him; we would do it.”
But if that weren’t enough to end the back and forth, Young’s answer to a similar question at the NFL Scouting Combine on Thursday should do the trick.
Young, who finished fourth in Heisman voting after recording 16 1/2 sacks in just 12 games, was asked if he had a scheme preference at the next level. His response?
“Any type of scheme — 4-3, 3-4 — whatever the team needs me to play, I can do.”
Are the Dolphins interested in Young, who on Thursday declared himself the NFL Draft’s best player? They’re at least curious. As of Thursday morning, they had already met with Young multiple times on an informal basis.
If there’s a path for the Dolphins to land Young, it’s hard to see, even if the Redskins unexpectedly take a quarterback with the second pick. It would almost certainly take the Dolphins moving up to third overall, but if Young truly is the best prospect, regardless of position, why would the Lions agree to trade out of the spot?
Plus, the Dolphins will most likely use their first pick on a quarterback — either Tua Tagovailoa or Justin Herbert.
Still, with three first-round picks and two more in the second round and an enormous need for a top-end pass rusher, you can’t rule anything out.
“I’m not worried about who might draft me,” Young said Thursday. “I feel like it’s all in God’s hands. Wherever I go, I’ll go.”
This story was originally published February 27, 2020 at 10:45 AM.
