The 49ers on Wednesday officially announced their acquisition of defensive end Chase Young from the Washington Commanders in exchange for a special compensatory selection in the third round of the 2024 draft.
Nothing surprising showed up in the official announcement. All reporting indicated that the pick the team acquired when Ran Carthon joined the Titans as their general manager would be heading to Washington in the deal. San Francisco held onto its own third-round pick, and holds another comp pick in that round.
Young joins a loaded defensive line that struggled to get consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks. The 49ers as a team rank third in total pressures according to Pro Football Reference, but they’re tied for 18th in sacks. The hope is that Young will provide a much-needed boost on the side opposite Nick Bosa where quarterbacks will have a little less time to throw the ball.
San Francisco has to clean up its missed tackles and some mistakes in coverage if it’s going to reach its full defensive potential, but Young should certainly improve the pass rush right away. From there the club is hoping the other things will fall into place.
