One year after drafting a quarterback from the University of North Carolina, the Chicago Bears appear to have their eyes on an elite pass rusher from rival North Carolina State.
A source tells Alex Marvez of Sporting News the Bears had a pre-draft meeting with Bradley Chubb, who is widely believed to be the best pass-rushing prospect available in the upcoming 2018 NFL Draft. The North Carolina State product picked up 10 sacks in his senior season and 10 more as a junior en route to wrapping up his college career with 25 sacks and 54.5 tackles-for-loss.
The Bears know they need help rushing the passer and drafting Chubb would be the best way to go about getting it. Chubb was a unanimous first-team All-American who won the ACC’s Defensive Player of the Year award and the Bronko Nagurski trophy, which is given out to college football’s best defensive player. He is undoubtedly the best prospect at his position and the drop-off to No. 2 on the list is steep.
But for Chicago to draft Chubb, GM Ryan Pace will need to get creative because the talented pass-rusher isn’t expected to fall to where the team is picking with the eighth overall selection. That means the Bears would have to trade up in the draft for the third consecutive year. The New York Giants, Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos, Indianapolis Colts, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers all draft ahead of the Bears and could be interested in drafting Chubb for themselves – and with good reason.
Because a third-round pick in this draft was part of the deal to trade up for the chance to draft Mitch Trubisky in 2017, it doesn’t seem like moving up again would be possible. But crazier things have happened and nothing can be ruled out with a front office as aggressive as the Bears’ has been in recent years.