The Case for Bradley Chubb at 8
Should the Chicago Bears go after Bradley Chubb? It’ll cost them.
The talk of this draft has been quarterbacks. In most drafts, the top quarterbacks dominate the headlines, but this season, with four quarterbacks who could potentially all go in the top four (if Cleveland trades down at 4), it’s been all anybody can talk about.
The truth is, while the quarterbacks are nabbing headlines, the best player in this draft happens to be a pass rusher from North Carolina State. Bradley Chubb has all the makings of a star, and if somehow he ends up in a Chicago Bears’ uniform, the Bears might just steal the entire draft.
But is that even possible, how could the Bears be so fortunate?
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First of all, the Bears won’t be able to get Chubb at eight. That’s out of the realm of possibility, but could he slip enough where the Bears could make a jump up and grab him? Let’s play this out.
The Browns are going to take a quarterback at one and the Jets are going to take a quarterback at three. The New York Giants have the second pick and after trading Jason Pierre-Paul, they would be a prime contender to pick Chubb. However, with a quarterback in Eli Manning whose best days are behind him and he’s entering camp at 37, how often does a team get a chance to pick a franchise quarterback like the Giants could do with the second overall pick?
If the Giants go with a QB, that means QBs will go in the top 3. The Cleveland Browns pick fourth, let’s say their decision is to go with Saquon Barkley. Now the Broncos pick fifth and they are also a prime contender to select a QB. Now we reach the Indianapolis Colts at six. There is zero chance they won’t select Chubb if he somehow slides that far, so if he does, that’s where the Bears would have to pounce.
For the Bears to move up from eight to six, it won’t be easy. The ideal compensation would be the Bears third-round pick, but that pick went to San Francisco in the Mitch Trubisky trade last year. That means the Bears would probably have to give Indianapolis their better fourth-round pick this year, and their third-round pick in 2019. Using the NFL’s draft point system, the Bears would have to give the Colts at least ‘200 points’ to make the trade happen, and that deal would give Indy 240 points (approximately) and that should be enough to make the deal happen.
Is that price worth it for Chubb? That argument could definitely be made. Putting Chubb on a front seven with Akiem Hicks, Eddie Goldman, Leonard Floyd and Danny Trevathan could potentially wreak havoc for opposing offenses.
Chicago Bears
Chubb is a great athlete with excellent size. He comes after the quarterback with the fire of a wild dog. He has a motor that seems to go endlessly and never shuts it down until the whistle is blown. He has great hands, an array of rush moves and can even drop into coverage. He has some technique issues, but if a coach irons those out, he’s as close to a flawless prospect as you can find.
If the Colts are willing, the Bears should absolutely bite and make that trade. Ryan Pace has shown that if he covets a guy, he doesn’t hesitate and will make a move (see Leonard Floyd and Mitch Trubisky) so if Chubb is on the Bears’ radar and there is a reasonable trade that can be made, it seems that Pace would absolutely consider making the move.
If Pace decides that trading up isn’t an option, then Bradley Chubb isn’t an option. Odds are he’s gone well before six, but if he’s there, and the Colts want to gain some more draft assets, the Bears should jump.