On the next installment of Tampa Bay Buccaneers draft profiles takes us to Raleigh, North Carolina. We take a look at this year’s top defensive end prospect, Bradley Chubb.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in a decent spot to try and add a top prospect in this year’s draft. With the draft less than a month away now the Bucs have to have an idea of who will fall to them at seven. One of the players many fans are hoping for are is NC State defensive end, Bradley Chubb. With the addition of Jason Pierre-Paul, the addition of Chubb isn’t the highest need but would instantly make the Buccaneers defensive line one of the top tiers in the league.
Bradley Chubb, cousin of Georgia running back Nick Chubb, can potentially be the top pick in this draft. He is that good. The draft class this year isn’t very deep at defensive end but Chubb is going to be a top pick for a reason. Let’s take a look at why Bradley Chubb could and should be high on the Buccaneers draft board.
Bradley Chubb Collegiate Career
At 6’4″ 269 pounds, Bradley Chubb has the prototypical size of an NFL defensive end. Posting the third fastest forty yard dash time for and defensive end at this year combine. He has shown his elite athleticism with top ten finishes in the vertical and broad jump, three-cone drill, and 20-yard shuttle.
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In his four year career at NC State, Chubb produced significant numbers in his final three years. As a defensive end, he recorded 198 tackles, 54.5 tackles for loss, 25 sacks, and six forced fumbles. He recorded ten sacks and at least twenty tackles for loss in his junior and senior seasons. With those numbers, he surpassed former first overall pick Mario Williams‘ sack record.
He was named to the first-team All ACC, first-team All-America, and received the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and the Ted Hendricks Award for his contributions to the Wolfpack.
Pros
Chubb is the most coveted defensive end in the draft this year. He’s explosive, has great size, and has produced consistent numbers in the ACC. Improving his stats each year against some top competition Chubb shows that he can make some impact plays on whichever line he is drafted to.
Chubb can make an impact with his strength, speed, and size which have been proven with his on-field production and combine numbers. While he is at a position with a high bust rate, there is a high chance he can be a multi-time pro bowler in the right situation.
Cons
There are not many negatives about Bradley Chubb. He has gone against high-level competition, but there is a major jump in the NFL. He has also shown that he can get over aggressive at times and miss running plays. Adding new moves to his repertoire can’t hurt either.
His biggest flaw is his temper and attitude. He’s had multiple instances where he needed to apologize. He spat on the FSU logo as a sign of disrespect and repeatedly ripped off Kelly Bryant’s towel in their game against Clemson. He has not had an on or off-field incident since but it is worth noting that he needs to mature.
Why The Tampa Bay Buccaneers Need Bradley Chubb
The Buccaneers were the worst team in the league at getting to the quarterback last year. With the addition of Jason Pierre-Paul the necessity of another pass rusher can be secondary but if Chubb were to fall to them there shouldn’t be much hesitation.
The rotation of JPP, Vinny Curry, Noah Spence, and Bradley Chubb would instill fear in the hearts of opposing quarterbacks. The Bucs need secondary help but in a great way to help pass defense is to pressure the quarterback.
The Buccaneers are still looking for that elusive double-digit sack quarterback. Bradley Chubb playing alongside Gerald McCoy could potentially get there sooner than any other player they’ve tried before.
Will It Happen?
The Buccaneers are going to try and draft Bradley Chubb but there is a good chance he isn’t there at seven. The Browns, Giants, Colts, and Broncos could all use Chubb on their roster and they pick ahead of Tampa. That is why I don’t think he will be on the Buccaneers next season. The Buccaneers likely aren’t to trade up in the draft so don’t get your hopes up.
The Buccaneers aren’t likely to add another pass rusher before the draft because they added three new players since last season. It would be really nice to have an elite defense for the first time in a while and adding Chubb could get them there.
Next: Buccaneers Draft Profile - RB Bo Scarbrough
We’ll see what the Bucs can do in less than a month now. Stay with us every day as we give you more prospects to watch on The Pewter Plank. Sound off on Twitter or Facebook if you think Bradley Chubb should be the pick at seven.