NFL analyst Brian Baldinger is confident that the 24-year-old pass rusher will thrive in his new environment. The 49ers hope Young provides enough of a boost to help the team rebound from three consecutive losses and regain their winning form.
"I think he starts right away," Baldinger said Tuesday morning on 95.7 The Game. "I think he starts against Jacksonville."
The Jaguars will host the 49ers on Sunday. Both teams should be well-rested, coming off their bye weeks. Young has the potential to make an immediate impact for the 49ers.
"Whoever lines up against Anton Harrison, the rookie right tackle, I mean, they better eat," Baldinger continued. "A lot of people have. This is a guy, they should win that battle. Jacksonville's got a very good offense, and a quarterback that is playing awesome, but that's a rookie out there, and I saw Chris Jones eat him alive. I've seen teams attack him.
"And so I would expect Chase to start. I mean, I think he's an upgrade. His movement is elite."
While Young has a lot of natural talent, Baldinger believes the pass rusher could refine his technique further in Santa Clara, honing that talent. Young has already secured five sacks this season, outperforming every other 49ers player. Imagine what he could do with superb coaching, something the NFL analyst believes he will receive.
"I think he needs to learn a lot," Baldinger explained. "I think Coach [Kris] Kocurek can really help him. I think he needs to learn a lot about pass rush. I think he has relied on his athletic ability for too long, which is considerable. Because if the quarterback gets flushed, Chase can literally chase. He can chase with some of the best of them in this business, and that's when he kind of comes alive.
"But if you're saying line up, put your hand in the ground and come off the ball and go beat your tackle one on one, he has not been able to do that consistently. In fact, Warren Sapp worked with him in training camp this year. He was a stand-up two-point pass rusher, and Sapp's like, 'Put your hand in the ground like a jet, and take off.'
"When he does that, he's better, but he says he doesn't see as well when his hand is down and doesn't see what's going on behind the line of scrimmage. I mean, I understand there's restrictions and limitations, but I think Kocurek can really work with him to get the most out of him."
You can listen to the entire conversation with Baldinger below.
More San Francisco 49ers News
-
Baldy: 49ers looked slow against Seahawks, defense appears bland; Is the wrong RB playing?
NFL analyst Brian Baldinger did not hold back in his assessment of the San Francisco 49ers' performance in Sunday's 20-17 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Appearing on Bay Area radio station 95.7 The Game, Baldinger pointed out that the entire 49ers team looked slow, with the... -
Are the 49ers still Super Bowl contenders? Steve Young reluctantly weighs in
Steve Young has long believed the San Francisco 49ers possess the talent to turn their season around. However, after a crushing 20-17 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, dropping the team to 5-5, their Super Bowl hopes seem to be slipping away. Sunday's defeat marked the... -
49ers mailbag: Why isn't Jordan Mason being used more? Has Kyle Shanahan lost the locker room? How can SF fix its issues before Green Bay?
The San Francisco 49ers are hanging by a thread. At 5-5, the team will travel to Green Bay to face the 7-3 Packers. And the 49ers may be playing this game without one of their best players, edge rusher Nick Bosa, who is dealing with a couple of injuries. And then there is the... -
Insider can envision 49ers targeting this defensive coach in the offseason
Despite the defense's struggles, the San Francisco 49ers have publicly supported defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen throughout the season. However, those endorsements only carry so much weight. The 49ers took a similar stance last season with Steve Wilks, whose time in Santa...