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This year’s most heralded pass rusher in the draft is off the board. Bradley Chubb was taken with the No. 5 overall pick by the Broncos on the first night of the 2018 NFL Draft.
Chubb is one of the best players in the entire draft, coming in at No. 5 on Dan Kadar’s big board for SB Nation. Here’s what else you need to know about the NC State product:
1. Chubb is the best pass rusher in the draft
With much of the talk of the draft being about the quarterbacks (and Saquon Barkley), Chubb has been able to remain a talking point among NFL Draft fans. He’s that good.
Kadar said of Chubb on his big board:
At 6’4 and 275 pounds, Chubb is the ideal 4-3 defensive end. He finished his career at North Carolina State with 54 tackles for loss and 25 sacks, to go along with 198 tackles and six forced fumbles. He’s a long-limbed pass rusher who plays with a lot of power and aggression. He consistently drives his legs on contact and has the strength push blockers backward in the pocket. Chubb isn’t the speediest of edge players, but he makes up for it with his ability to shed blocks and tenacity. He needs to get a little better on counter moves, but Chubb has shown he can work on his game and get better. Effort will never be a question with Chubb.
Chubb got his feet wet during his sophomore season, but became a star during his junior year. In 2016, he had 56 total tackles, 21 tackles for loss, and 10 sacks. He also forced three fumbles, and recovered one.
During this past season, Chubb improved on his 2016 with 72 total tackles, 23 tackles for loss, and 10 sacks.
2. He’s a physical specimen that doesn’t seem real
Oftentimes you hear players described as beasts, freaks, monsters, etc. But Chubb is just — perfect.
SB Nation’s Stephen White described how his size and athleticism blew him away:
The whole time I was watching tape I had to constantly keep reminding myself Bradley Chubb is listed at 6’4 and over 270 pounds, and I mean that in the most complimentary way possible.
Like, this dude showed the kind of quickness, bend, and athleticism normally reserved for much smaller guys. He looked so smooth turning the corner, so fast coming off the ball. At times he looked more like a basketball player on the field crossing fools up, rather than the hulking defensive end his height and weight would suggest.
But, to be clear, there were plenty of plays where Chubb’s almost ideal size for an edge rusher was also very apparent, especially against the run. I saw him easily bench press tight ends back when he lined up in a six-technique. I also saw plenty of times where he would knock an offensive tackle back and easily shed him to make a play on the ball carrier. His combination of athleticism and power is just about unfair!
You can check out what White was talking about in his film breakdown of Chubb, which will help you visualize how he’s able to do these things. For comparison: what everybody thought of Myles Garrett last year, is basically Chubb this year.
3. Athleticism runs in his blood
Chubb’s father, Aaron, was a star linebacker at the University of Georgia. His brother Brandon was a standout linebacker at Wake Forest and is currently on the Lions’ roster. He’s also related to Georgia’s Nick Chubb.
The Chubbs know how to do this whole football thing.
4. He’s tough
Everybody loves a tough guy in football. That’s Chubb. He broke his finger pretty badly against Pitt:
Bradley Chubb's gruesome finger injury--hopefully just a dislocation; expected to come back in the game pic.twitter.com/ihGqZewoGQ
— Pack Pride (@PackPride) October 14, 2017
And yet, he carried on:
Not even a gruesome finger injury was going to stop @PackFootball's Bradley Chubb today. #1Pack1Goal pic.twitter.com/sQ0kggb6qV
— ACC Digital Network (@theACCDN) October 14, 2017
Hopefully it never gets worse for him than that.
BUT, he might steal ... towels?
Yup. Chubb’s ferocious on the field, but can also be sneaky. He’s known to play games with opposing players, like stealing their towels tucked into pants:
Bradley Chubb is America’s finest troll pic.twitter.com/bLOCVDNNdm
— Steven (@akulawolf) November 4, 2017
Chubb and Von Miller will now be a horrifying pass rush duo for the Broncos. Good luck to the Chiefs, Chargers, and Raiders.