2018 NFL Draft: What would Bradley Chubb bring to the Giants?

The New York Giants surprised us all with the news that they had traded Jason Pierre-Paul to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

That trade opened up a wealth of possibilities in the 2018 NFL Draft, and threw the top of the order into uncertainty. North Carolina State defensive end Bradley Chubb has long been considered a top five prospect, but wasn’t really in consideration for the Giants. But with the departure of JPP, the Giants have placed Chubb firmly in the conversation for the second overall selection.

With a new hole to fill on their defense, we need to take a closer look at the best, and safest, player at the position.

Measurables

Pros

• Prototypical build with good height, thickness, and long arms.
• Blends power, explosiveness, and agility.
• Polished technique.
• Active, heavy hands.
• Great awareness of the ball.
• High revving motor.
• Experience playing all over the defensive front.
• Consistently, and highly, productive. Had 44 tackles for a loss and 20 sacks combined in the last two seasons.
• Team leader and defensive captain.

Cons

• Could stand to develop more pass rushing moves.
• Very occasionally gets over-aggressive and loses contain.
• Doesn’t have freakishly elite athleticism

Prospect video

What they’re saying

Usually an edge prospect will have have question marks in some areas. Some have the speed and quickness, but maybe are little undersized. Others have tons of athletic ability and the size you like to see, but are very raw with their technique. Then you have the cats who look the part, but just didn’t have the production in college for some reason. And then you have the rare player who has every thing you want, but their technique is already so good that it looks like they may have already come close to maxing out their potential. Or maybe they played well, but they loafed a little too much.

Chubb just didn’t have any of these “buts” in the games I watched.

-Stephen White (former NFL DE, writing for SB Nation)

Does he fit the Giants?

Asking whether or not Bradley Chubb fits into a defense is more like asking if your team has a competent defensive scheme: If Chubb doesn’t fit your defense, you have a bad scheme.

Quite simply, he is a complete defensive lineman. He has a powerful, explosive build, excellent movement skills, a high football IQ, and a motor that just doesn’t quit. Some might rebel at the thought of taking Chubb at the same level as Myles Garrett or Jadeveon Clowney because he just isn’t on the same planet as them athletically. But functionally, there is little difference, and they aren’t on the same planet as he is technique-wise.

Chubb is much more in the vein of Joey Bosa as a prospect. He is a very good athlete with a terrific blend of power and agility, but what sets him apart is polished technique and violent hands. While players like Clowney and Garrett can overwhelm their opponents, Chubb attacks and beats them. Interestingly, he rarely does so with his power, instead relying on a great rip move to slip past blockers while using the flexibility in his ankles and hips to flatten and bend the edge. Instead, he uses his obvious power as a counter after tackles begin to expect his speed.

Chubb has played left and right defensive end, defensive tackle, rush linebacker, and even dropped into coverage on zone blitzes. He would be an intriguing, and dangerous, weapon for James Bettcher to scheme with opposite Olivier Vernon.