Bradley Chubb can’t really explain it, but going back to his early days playing football, the Broncos rookie outside linebacker has a proven knack for making a great impression. As in, Hello Mr. Ball Carrier. Welcome to the ground.
The first defensive snap of his senior season at North Carolina State? A tackle-for-loss of South Carolina running back Rico Dowdle.
The first defensive snap of his Broncos rookie season? A half-sack of Seattle’s Russell Wilson.
Chubb’s second snap (geez, what took him so long?) last week? A full-sack of Baltimore’s Joe Flacco.
“It’s crazy,” Chubb said. “It just always seems to happen like that.”
Fast starts in the NFL, though, are not measured by just plays, but instead through complete games, and with three to Chubb’s credit in orange-and-blue, it’s time to audit the player many considered the best defensive prospect in the 2018 draft class. And, to better understand his early development, compare Chubb’s production to recent top-five picks who had enormous edge-rushing expectations.
Through three games as rookies during their respective seasons, Chubb has played more snaps, 152, than did Myles Garrett (Browns), Joey Bosa (Chargers) and Jadaveon Clowney (Texans). Chubb’s sack total, 1.5, also eclipsed Khalil Mack’s introduction in Oakland. Chubb falls behind the group in quarterback hurries (two) and tackles (eight).
However, Denver certainly isn’t dependent on Chubb alone to create pressure with arguably one of the league’s deepest pass-rush units. The Broncos’ nine team sacks rank tied for seventh-most in the NFL.
“I’ve been very pleased with Bradley,” coach Vance Joseph said. “Every game he has gotten better and better. He’s getting more comfortable dropping (into coverage). He’s winning his one-on-ones as far as pass rush. He’s getting Von Miller more one-on-ones.”
The learning curve is steepest for Chubb’s transition from his college duties to a hybrid SAM linebacker role chasing quarterbacks and covering pass catchers. Chubb said he “went straight ahead 90 percent of the time, and when I did drop back, it was in zones” in college. Denver often placed Chubb in man-up situations in the opener against Seattle and tight end Will Dissly feasted with 105 yards on just three receptions.
“Having to do the whole man-to-man thing, it was different and I’m still getting used to it,” Chubb said “It’s never perfect. I always want to get better. But over the past couple of games I’ve been progressing.”
Linebacker Shane Ray, whom Chubb credited among his mentors in refining coverage techniques, added: “It’s the little things. You have the athletic ability to make up on anybody with speed and size. But you’ve got to be in the right place leverage-wise. … The thing that we really love about Chubb is with the talent level in our room, we look at ourselves as elite outside linebackers, for him to already come in here as a rookie and be at that level with us is big-time. That’s what we expect of him.”
Chubb is starting to catch his niche in Denver’s defense as the initial spark.
He doesn’t want it to stop there.
“Whether it’s just me excited to be out there or what-not, it’s just a normal thing that happens,” Chubb said. “Hopefully it’s a trend I can keep going, progress throughout the whole game and make even more plays.”
ROOKIE IMPACT
Looking back at the production of notable recent rookie pass rushers after their first three NFL games.
Team Player Season Snaps Tackles Sacks
Broncos Bradley Chubb 2018 152 8 1.5
Browns Myles Garrett 2017 109 11 4
Chargers Joey Bosa 2016 130 11 4
Raiders Khalil Mack 2014 191 19 0
Texans J. Clowney 2014 94 4 0
