2018 NFL Draft: NC State defensive end Bradley Chubb is 2018’s premier pass rusher
CBS Sports’ highest rated player for the 2018 NFL Draft is the NC State defensive end Bradley Chubb. What makes Bradley Chubb so elite?
More: 2018 NFL Draft preview, player profiles and latest mock drafts
The NFL is a pass-first league with increasingly flexible rules making the game safer and more efficient for quarterbacks and more difficult on defensive backs. This creates a need for high level pass rushers around the NFL. Bradley Chubb enters the 2018 NFL Draft as the top rated player per CBS Sports and fourth overall player per Sports Illustrated. The question will be, is there a need at defensive end for teams in the top 5, or will they be focused on positions like running back and quarterback instead?
Chubb is 6-foot-4 and 275 pounds of dominating force. He’ll slide in to a starting position on the edge in a 4-3 defense in the NFL. I don’t see him fitting in well for a 3-4, but that defense isn’t as common today as it was in the early 2000’s. Many franchises are running a 4-3 and 4-2-5 hybrid and Chubb fits right in as a player that can both play the run and rush the passer as a 5-technique defensive end.
Strengths
Chubb’s strengths are plenty and NFL scouts will have a field day analyzing and re-analyzing what he does at the NFL Combine. Chubb should test well, and the important tests for him will be the 40 yard dash (and the 10 yard dash which is timed inside the 40), the 20 yard shuttle, the 3-cone drill, broad jump and vertical jump as well. The 40 and 10 will show if he has the elite speed to get back to the quarterback in the fast paced NFL, the 20 and 3-cone will show whether or not he has the fluidness and agility to stop and change direction against the inside zone read and run-pass option offenses.
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Chubb also has proven production in a solid conference, the ACC. Chubb moved in to a starting role in 2015- putting up 66 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss and 5 sacks. He really came into his own in 2016 and 2017 where he logged 128 tackles, 44 tackles for loss and 20 sacks in his junior and senior years combined. Chubb has remained healthy, been very productive, and has an NFL ready body as a senior weak side defensive end.
Weaknesses
Chubb’s only weakness would be his lack of pass rush moves, and he could improve his hand fighting. If scouts want to get really nit-picky, they could say he’s not versatile enough to play on the strong side if there’s as tight end in the game. Other than that, Chubb can take on blocks, play the run to and away, and he has the quick first step and closing speed to get to the quarterback. His draft status as a first overall or as someone who slides back to picks five through ten will be all about his performance at the combine.
Draft Expectations
Bradley Chubb will be drafted within the first ten picks of the 2018 NFL Draft. That placement will make him a wealthy young man with a lot of expectation to be the next Dwight Freeney if he lands in Indianapolis, the next Elvis Dumervil in Denver or the next Simeon Rice in Tampa Bay.
The Colts have two quality defensive ends and may see the need to draft Quentin Nelson a guard from Notre Dame to protect Andrew Luck. If that happens, Chubb could slide to Denver with the fifth pick. The Broncos finished the season 22nd in sacks in the NFL.
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If John Elway and Denver decide to draft offense, the Buccaneers are the 7th pick. The Buccs, who finished 2017 with twenty-two sacks which ranked the worst in the NFL, would be the lowest I can see Chubb sliding in the NFL Draft.