The 2020 NFL Draft was a perplexing one for the Washington Commanders as they selected Chase Young over Justin Herbert.
Former Commanders head coach Ron Rivera has no regrets about drafting Young over superstar QB Justin Herbert.
The defensive end had a decent run, winning the NFL Defensive Rookie Player of the Year award.
Herbert, picked at three by the Chargers was named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Young was a 2020 Pro Bowler, but his career started dragging and he would eventually move to the 49ers in 2023, before another move to the Saints this season.
Joe Burrow of the Bengals was the number one pick.
At the time of his release from Washington Rivera had this to say, “Well, I think that more so than anything else, as we put this plan together, I think it’s really what we felt was in the best interest of our football team going forward.
“We had a plan going into this, the front office put together what those offers were, and we sat down and talked about the best way to go with it, the best direction, and then sat down with ownership, and everybody was aligned when we were done talking about it.”
He missed the most part if 2021 and 2022 after tearing his ACL during a week 10 game against the Buccaneers.
In hindsight, the Commanders’ decision to select Chase Young over Justin Herbert remains debated.
Despite Young’s initial success, injuries and subsequent team changes altered the trajectory of his career.
