Bradley Chubb started his college career at linebacker but played sparingly as a true freshman, seeing time from scrimmage in just three games. He then moved to defensive end and starred in NC State's four-man front over the next three years, breaking Mario Williams' school records for sacks (25.0) and tackles for loss (54.5).
The Denver Broncos picked him fifth in the NFL Draft Thursday night and play a 3-4 defense, featuring perennial All-Pro outside linebacker Von Miller. According to head coach Vance Joseph Thursday night, the plan is to play Chubb at outside linebacker. So on first blush, that might not seem a great fit … but general manager John Elway doesn't seem concerned about it.
"Bradley Chubb fits anybody's defense," he told 9news.com.
It's hard to beat that endorsement from a Hall of Famer, who also said that Chubb was "the best defensive player in the draft" and a guy the team "didn't want to pass on" — and Miller was also overjoyed by the addition.
Chubb noted he's excited to learn from "the best" in Miller, while Miller's former Denver teammate DeMarcus Ware, a nine-time Pro Bowler and four-time first-team All-Pro, seemed just as excited about the pick.
It wasn't just those associated with the organization that were singing the praises of the addition.
NFL Network's Charley Casserly, a former longtime NFL executive, chose Chubb as his day one pick to make the biggest impact as a rookie late Thursday night.
Each of CBS Sports' Pete Prisco, Bleacher Report's Matt Miller and Chris Simms, and NFL Network's Bucky Brooks awarded the move an A-plus.
"Love this pick," Prisco wrote. "With Von Miller on the other side, it's tough going for opposing quarterbacks."
"The value is great — he was the No. 2 overall player on my board, the top defensive player," Miller said on his draft grade broadcast. "When you can get an elite pass rusher, you get the guy. Him and Von Miller together? Oh my goodness.
"Good luck Kansas City Chiefs, good luck Oakland Raiders and good luck LA Chargers, I don't know how you block those two together. … I had a super high grade on this kid. On-field, off-field, he checks every box."
"He is a phenomenal football player," Simms added. "He was one of the safest picks in the whole draft. At the very least, you're getting a guy that goes to the Pro Bowl a few times and starts on your defense for the next 10 years. He's got it all … and the most impressive thing is the guy is 100 miles per hour on every play."
"I am rough on John Elway a lot, this is the best pick I've seen him make as the GM of the Denver Broncos," Miller concluded. "He didn't get cute, he didn't overthink it; he just took the best player on the board and built a strength for his defense."
Brooks, meanwhile, said the Broncos may have gotten "the best player in the draft with the fifth overall pick."
Fans are notoriously the hardest to please, but even they are overwhelmingly on board with pairing Chubb along with Miller and the rest of the Broncos defense.
As of 12:30 a.m., MileHighReport.com had 5,600-plus online votes for grades of the Chubb pick and 88 percent listed it an 'A,' while DenverPost.com's poll had over 4,600 votes and nearly 88.5 percent dubbed the selection an 'A.'
It seems like all are in agreement: the Broncos were the perfect fit for Chubb, and Chubb was the right pick for the Broncos.
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