ENGLEWOOD – To date, there has been little buzz associating the Denver Broncos’ No. 5 draft pick with defensive end Bradley Chubb.
John Elway’s stated concern about Adam Gotsis’ pending legal situation and a noncommittal to picking up Shane Ray’s option suggest that perhaps it is time to consider the North Carolina State edge rusher with the Broncos at No. 5.
There has been talk around the NFL, and among Broncos, that Chubb is the best defensive player in this draft. The may be concern as to whether he would fit the Broncos’ 3-4 defensive system. At 6-4, 269 pounds, Chubb is an ideal defensive end in a 4-3 set, but he may be viewed as a tad light as a 3-4 defensive end, and tad big as an outside linebacker.
The Broncos just drafted a tweener last year in the second round in DeMarcus Walker.
But before dismissing Chubb as a possible Bronco, consider this: Elway, the Broncos’ general manager, was asked during his pre-draft press conference Thursday if he had decided whether to pick up the approximately $9.2 million, fifth-year option on outside linebacker Shane Ray for the 2019 season. The deadline for teams exercising the option on first-round picks from the 2015 draft (Ray was taken No. 23 overall by the Broncos) is May 2, or less than two weeks away.
“We haven’t made a decision yet, we’re still considering that,’’ Elway said.
Complicating that decision is Ray’s production has yet to match his price. There are two good reasons for this. One, he was playing behind future Hall of Famer DeMarcus Ware during his first two seasons. And two, Ray suffered a wrist injury last year and missed half the season.
Still, with 13 sacks in three seasons, Ray needs the Broncos to show faith in him if they are to pay him a $9.2 million salary.
Perhaps the decision on whether to exercise his fifth-year option will become clearer after the draft.
Then there’s the investigation by a Fulton County, Ga. district attorney into a potential rape charge against Gotsis stemming from an incident in 2013 while he was a student-athlete at Georgia Tech. The decision may not come for another 60 days, according to a timeline released by the Fulton County district attorney’s office.
“We’re still monitoring that situation and we’ll see how everything falls – obviously it’s a concern,’’ Elway said. “We’d like to have it resolved now but anytime you have something like that going on at the top (of the draft) there, you have to take it into consideration.’’
The uncertain futures of Ray and Gotsis could bring Chubb into play. He recorded a combined 20.0 sacks and 44 tackles for loss the past two seasons for the Wolfpack. Teams that play a 3-4 defense do view him as a player who can stand up and play outside linebacker on first down, and put his hand in the ground and line up as a defensive end on third down.
Even if the Broncos are interested in Chubb, he may be selected by either the New York Giants with their No. 2 pick or Cleveland Browns at No. 4.
