News: BTB: NFL Draft prospect to know: Bradley Chubb, DE, NC State

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A potential prospect for Cowboys fans to keep tabs on.

Blogging The Boys will begin taking a look at some of the NFL Draft prospects that will be in the 2018 NFL Draft class. We’ll try to do this on a Friday night or Saturday morning so you can pay attention to that player in their next game if you should so choose. Some weeks, we will look at potential targets that will be within the Cowboys’ expected draft range. Others, we will highlight some of the elite members of the class.

Another week, another prospect to highlight for the Cowboys fan base! In case you have missed any of the previous five installments, make sure to scroll to the bottom of this article and catch up on all of the prospects that we have covered. Thus far, we have taken a look at one edge rusher, one cornerback, one offensive lineman, one wide receiver, and one defensive tackle. Each are possibilities for the Cowboys in April, as the franchise hosts its first ever NFL Draft!

The Cowboys are currently sitting at 2-3 heading into week seven. The team must be able to find a way to group together some wins in order to battle for a playoff spot for the third time in four years. The defense has been a huge area of concern; the Cowboys have lost two consecutive home games while scoring at least 30 points — that’s unheard of! While Demarcus Lawrence and Jourdan Lewis have been huge bright spots, the unit as a whole has severely struggled — especially without Sean Lee.

Lawrence has played like a superstar and David Irving is back in the fold, but would the Cowboys want to add even more of a pass rush in the draft? If so, here is one big time prospect to keep an eye on as the draft process heats up.

Bradley Chubb — Defensive End, N.C. State Wolfpack

6-foot-4
275
Senior

Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images
Chubb sacking 2016 Heisman winner Lamar Jackson

Bradley Chubb is one of the best defensive players in all of college football. He was a dominant player last season for NC State, and the senior defensive end was named a midseason All-American for The All-American, CBS Sports, and USA TODAY for his play thus far this season. Needless to say, Chubb is one of the nation’s premier players.

Chubb has been a big time player in the college ranks dating back to his sophomore season for the Wolfpack. In 2015, the former three-star recruit tallied 66 total tackles — 27 solo — a whopping 10.5 tackles for a loss and an absurd five sacks for the true sophomore. He even recorded an interception and forced two fumbles! His play quickly gained him nationally wide recognition, and he has not stopped developing into one of the better defenders in all of college football.

Chubb became even better in 2016. The beast of a defensive end dominated in his junior season. Chubb recorded 56 tackles and boosted his solo tackles to 32. Not impressive enough? Well, he brought down an insane 21 ball carriers down behind the line of scrimmage and more than doubled his sack total from five in 2015 to ten in 2016. Chubb forced three fumbles as a junior, and he put fear into every opposing tackle that he lined up against.

In 2017, NC State’s playmaking defensive end has been even better. As a result, he is considered to be a lock for a first-round pick and to be a consensus All-American by season’s end. Chubb has already recorded 37 total tackles, 11 TFLs, and has gotten to the quarterback 6.5 times — including two against Florida State and one on Louisville’s Lamar Jackson. As good as Chubb has been throughout his career, this has been his best.

Bleacher Report’s lead draft analyst Matt Miller mocked Chubb to the New Orleans Saints at pick 17 earlier this month. Here is some of what Miller wrote:

Bradley Chubb has been one of the nation's best pass-rushers for two seasons now and is on a tear this fall. He has the size (6'4", 275 lbs) to play off the edge either with his hand in the dirt or standing up. Given the lack of pass rush in New Orleans, getting Chubb here and a quarterback in the second round should be the plan.
​

Chubb plays with a high motor, knows how to get after the quarterback, and he seems to know how to impact any given game in a variety of different ways. He can rush off of the edge and also help out in run support. (For what it’s worth, as of this week, the Cowboys would be on the clock — in Arlington — in the pick 12-17 range, which is about where Chubb will likely be taken in April.


Could the Cowboys pair Bradley Chubb with Demarcus Lawrence?

*Gifs courtesy of NFL Draft Breakdown, Highlight Castle, and AjIndDraft; stats from sports-reference.

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