The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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MARCH 2018 ■ 51 Sporting News — also list Chubb third on their big boards, while CBS Sports' Chris Trapasso tabbed Chubb No. 1 on his list. "I don't see flaws in his game," Trapasso explained. "I don't think you have to hope that he gets more athletic or you have to hope that he adds some strength or hope that he adds some pass-rushing moves. He has all of that right now. "And another facet of that is that he is not a situational pass rusher that has to come off the field in obvious running situ- ations. He has the size, the length and the strength to be a three-down defensive end in the 4-3, 3-4, doesn't matter." Front-Line Depth Much like he did throughout his last two years on the gridiron, Chubb will over- shadow his teammates once again in the draft. But there's no denying an abundance of quality there. Chubb's three linemates were each in- vited to a postseason all-star game and thrived (there was even a fifth, junior Dar- ian Roseboro, who probably would've been drafted, but decided to return to NC State for his senior year — a la Chubb). Street was up first in the annual East- West Shrine Game, and after an excellent week of practice, plus a game performance that included 1.5 sacks, many noted he looked like the first player from what is perceived to be the No. 2 all-star game selected in the draft. "Teams recognize the fact that he may be the fourth-best player on his college defen- sive line," noted Eric Galko, the owner of OptimumScouting.com who also does the big board for Sporting News. "But those first three guys might be top-three round picks. "He flashed a lot this year. I thought some of the times in season he just didn't take advantage of opportunities that well. At the Shrine Game, he did just that — he finished every opportunity he had. … I thought his performance at the Shrine Game was outstanding." Galko concluded by saying that a stand- out NFL Scouting Combine — almost a guarantee, given Street's viral 700-pound squat and stated goal of running a sub-4.6 40-yard dash — would have him "contend- ing for a top-100 pick." The expert already feels the Pack's two defensive tackles, B.J. Hill and Justin Jones, are there as likely top-100 picks. Both im- pressed Galko during the week of practices at the Senior Bowl, and he wasn't alone. Jones was named the defensive line Practice Player of the Week at the Senior Bowl, while Hill received the same honor from Pro Football Focus. PFF wasn't down on Jones, though, naming him the No. 3 defensive lineman in the contest. "I thought B.J. Hill was going to be a second-round pick coming into the Senior Bowl," Galko said. "I don't think he domi- nated the way I was hoping he would and rising to a late first-round pick, but I think he goes someplace in the second, at worst third round. Justin Jones showed a lot more than I expected. … Now he looks like a defensive tackle you can't pass on at the end of round three." Galko admitted that he still has Hill as the higher-ranked prospect, noting part of that is also due to his immense leadership qualities, but others prefer Jones. "Both Jones and fellow Wolfpack line- man B.J. Hill will have no shortage of suitors," Chris Burke of TheAthletic.com wrote when he listed Jones No. 40 on his big board. "While both are stingy versus the run, Jones offers more when it comes to dialing up pressure." Although he plays on the other side of the ball and still had a year of eligibility left — and therefore did not take part in the all- star circuit — Will Richardson was another lineman that provided a big building block from that 2014 signing class. The biggest concerns around Richardson seem to be off the field — he was sus- pended twice, including for the first two games of the 2017 season — but he has the prototypical size NFL teams are always looking for at tackle. The 6-6, 306-pounder has also been in- vited to the combine, where he hopes to show off what he claimed on SiriusXM was a newly svelte frame, down 22 pounds from his fall playing weight. He proved pretty good at the heavier weight, when he was credited with not allowing a sack or even quarterback pressure from his right tackle spot as a senior. Optimum Scouting ranked Richardson as the No. 9 offensive tackle in the draft, not- ing "he flashed as much as any offensive tackle in the 2018 class this year." Four-year starter Tony Adams is another 2014 signee looking to find a home on the next level up front. He also turned heads at the Shrine Game, but his path became more difficult when he was not invited to the combine. Optimum Scouting ranked him as the No. 7 guard available in the draft, while NFLDraftScout.com dubbed him a sixth- round pick, the No. 221 overall player in the class and a combine "snub." CBS During the Senior Bowl, NFL Network's Mike Mayock compared defensive tackle B.J. Hill to two- time Pro Bowler Linval Joseph of the Minnesota Vikings. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN "You could make the argument Chubb is the best player in the draft. He's not that far off from being the No. 1 guy in the draft." ■ ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. on Bradley Chubb