Bradley Chubb was a North Carolina State sophomore defensive end in 2015, and when John Elway and the Denver Broncos hoisted the Lombardi Trophy the following February, Chubb identified a role model in Von Miller.
Their physical specifications were almost identical, about 6-foot-3 and 250 pounds, edge rushers whose finesse matched their power. Chubb desired to emulate Miller’s destruction in NFL backfields someday, but his game required technical refinement. Miller provided the blueprint.
“His bend, the way he wastes no movement coming off the ball,” Chubb said, “that’s something that I tried to implement.”
Fast forward ahead two years to Friday, and there was no hiding Chubb’s joy at being formally introduced as the Broncos’ No. 5 overall NFL draft pick, standing alongside Elway and head coach Vance Joseph holding an orange jersey.
The congratulations have been overwhelming since his selection Thursday night — “My phone froze yesterday from getting all the notifications,” Chubb said — as he aims to answer the question now on the mind of every Broncos’ fan.
What makes Chubb a premier talent, and more importantly, how will the Broncos utilize him?
“I would describe myself as relentless,” Chubb said. “That motor came from always wanting to make plays. I always wanted to be around the ball. It was just something I was raised with. If I am going to do something, I am going to do it at 100 percent.”’
Chubb needed only three seasons to set North Carolina State program records for tackles for loss (60) and sacks (26). He was most dominant as a senior, including a 2.5 sack effort against Boston College that left Eagles’ coach Steve Addazio lost for solutions: “We doubled Chubb with the tackle,” he said at the time. “There’s not a whole lot more you can do than that.”
The physical attributes that allow Chubb to thrive are 34-inch arms, 9-7/8 inch hands and a 4.65-second 40-yard dash. But ask his college coach, Dave Doeren, and Chubb’s success stems from much more.
“He really takes pride in his fundamentals,” Doeren said. “He understands what things mean on the field and his football IQ is really high. He’s going to see linemen stance tells, offensive tells and he’s going to understand down-and-distance tendencies. When you can play with that kind of football IQ and have ability and have work ethic, you’re going to put yourself around the ball a lot.”
Elway reiterated his excitement for Chubb on Friday — “We really feel that he’s going to have a tremendous career,” he said — with expectations Chubb will contribute immediately among a deep group of Broncos’ edge rushers such as Miller, Shaquil Barrett and Shane Ray. The wealth of talent at the position should allow a steady flow of fresh legs and exotic blitz packages.
The Broncos’ 3-4 defensive scheme will require Chubb to play as both a three-down lineman and outside linebacker. He said he’ll embrace the challenge.
“When I get on the field, I feel like I set different goals for myself,” Chubb said. “I feel like a successful rookie year is just making plays and whatever it takes to help this team win. … If that comes with Rookie of the Year, that’s perfectly fine with me as long as we win games.”
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