2018 NFL Draft Player Preview: Sam Hubbard

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Sam Hubbard, 6-5/270 Defensive End Ohio State

Sam Hubbard Scouting Report
By Charlie Campbell

Strengths:

Quick edge rusher

Has upper body strength

Quickness to run around the corner

Has active hands

Uses hands and feet at the same time

Capable of beating tackles with speed or strength

Sturdy end

Good size

Athletic ability

Movement skills

Weaknesses:

Undersized

Underachiever

Didn’t produce up to his skill set

Not super explosive

Solid but unspectacular in all phases

Summary: Hubbard redshirted for a year before working his way onto the field in 2015. He flashed his potential with 6.5 sacks that season to go along with 28 tackles and an interception. In 2016, Hubbard collected 46 tackles with eight for a loss, 3.5 sacks and two passes batted. He then gave some consideration toward entering the 2017 NFL Draft, but wisely decided to return for his senior year.

In 2017, Hubbard collected 43 tackles with 13.5 tackles for a loss and seven sacks. He had good moments, but still didn’t always play up to his great skill set and wasn’t consistent enough. Hubbard has an excellent combination of size, speed, and good technique, but he never produced up to it in college. Sources have said that they liked Hubbard’s skill set as he is big with impressive movement skills.

In the pass rush, Hubbard can get after the quarterback. He has upper body strength to fight through blockers and some quickness around the corner. Hubbard possesses active hands and uses them at the same time as his feet. He is capable of beating tackles with speed or strength. Hubbard is a sturdy end, but he isn’t super explosive or a blinding speed rusher off the edge.



Hubbard is generally reliable to hold his gap in the ground game. He fights off blocks and gets in on tackles. Hubbard shows some recognition skills and instincts to stay home on misdirection plays. Sometimes it takes him biting on a fake before he maintains better discipline for the rest of the game.

Hubbard definitely has the body to be a base end in the NFL. He would probably fit best as an end in a 4-3 defense rather than as a stand-up outside linebacker in a 3-4. He could play outside linebacker in a 3-4, but that isn’t his best fit.

In speaking with multiple team sources, they say that Hubbard is on the bubble of the first round. He could go late on Thursday night and might slip to the second round, but shouldn’t last long if he does.





Player Comparison: Derrick Morgan. Morgan (6-4, 261) and Hubbard are similar in their sizes and skill sets. Morgan has been a solid, sturdy edge defender for the Titans since being a first-round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft – 16th overall. Generally, Morgan has around six sacks per year while contributing in the ground game as well as the pass rush. Morgan has never set the league on fire, but he has been a steady player. In the NFL, I think Hubbard will have a similar career and impact for his pro defense.

NFL Matches: Indianapolis, San Francisco, Oakland, Miami, Green Bay, Seattle, Detroit, Carolina, Tennessee, New Orleans and New England

There are a lot of teams that could target Hubbard late in the first round or early in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft. Given that this is a weak edge-rushing class and that edge rusher is a premium position for the NFL, plenty of teams should be hoping to land Hubbard and his ability to put heat on the quarterback.

In the first round, Seattle could be a possibility for Hubbard. Michael Bennett was traded away, and Cliff Avril could be nearing the end of his time with the Seahawks. Hubbard could make sense for Seattle as a long-term replacement.

The Lions need an edge pass-rusher to go across from Ziggy Ansah. Hubbard would be a fit for them. Carolina can’t count on Julius Peppers playing much longer, and Hubbard would make sense as an immediate rotational pass-rusher. The Panthers have shown interest in Hubbard.

The Titans also could use a young edge rusher. Their pass rush needs to be improved, and Hubbard could fit as an outside linebacker for Mike Vrabel. The Saints could use an end upgrade across from Cam Jordan.

New England also needs more young talent at defensive end and outside linebacker. The lack of edge rush really hurt the Patriots in the Super Bowl. They could target him with one of their first-round picks or their high second-round pick.

In the second round, there are a lot of options for Hubbard. The Colts have three second-round picks and need more edge-rushing talent. Hubbard could be a fit in their 3-4 defense.

San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch has stated the team needs more edge-rushing talent. Hubbard could interest Lynch to replace Elvis Dumervil and finish off their four-man line going with Thomas, DeForest Buckner and Arik Armstead.

Staying in the Bay area, the Raiders badly need more front seven talent. Hubbard could be a good fit for Oakland as an edge rusher across from Khalil Mack.

The Dolphins could consider Hubbard in the second round as they could use an end to go across from Charles Harris. Green Bay also could use more edge talent, and Hubbard could give the Packers some speed off the edge. Hubbard could be a fit if they move down in the first round, or if they move up in the second round.

2018 NFL Draft Scouting Reports - Choose Player 2018 NFL Draft Scouting Reports - Home Adonis Alexander, CB, Virginia Tech Jaire Alexander, CB, Louisville Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming Mark Andrews, TE, Oklahoma Dorance Armstrong, DE, Kansas Marcel Ateman, WR, Oklahoma State Anthony Averett, CB, Alabama Kalen Ballage, RB, Arizona State Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State Sam Beal, CB, Western Michigan Andrew Brown, DE, Virginia Orlando Brown, OT, Oklahoma Taven Bryan, DT, Florida Lorenzo Carter, LB, Georgia D.J. Chark, WR, LSU Geron Christian, OT, Louisville Bradley Chubb, DE, N.C. State Nick Chubb, RB, Georgia Simmie Cobbs, WR, Indiana Tyrell Crosby, OT, Oregon James Daniels, C, Iowa Sam Darnold, QB, USC Marcus Davenport, DE, UTSA Carlton Davis, CB, Auburn Duke Dawson, CB, Florida Tremaine Edmunds, LB, Virginia Tech Duke Ejiofor, DE, Wake Forest Rashaan Evans, LB, Alabama Luke Falk, QB, Washington State Minkah Fitzpatrick, S, Alabama Mike Gesicki, TE, Penn State Dallas Goedert, TE, South Dakota State Rasheem Green, DT, USC Derrius Guice, RB, LSU DaeSean Hamilton, WR, Penn State Da'Shawn Hand, DE, Alabama Ronnie Harrison, S, Alabama Will Hernandez, G, UTEP Sam Hubbard, DE, Ohio State Mike Hughes, CB, Central Florida Hayden Hurst, TE, South Carolina Maurice Hurst, DT, Michigan Donte Jackson, CB, LSU Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville Joshua Jackson, CB, Iowa Derwin James, S, Florida State Malik Jefferson, LB, Texas Kerryon Johnson, RB, Auburn Ronald Jones, RB, USC Arden Key, DE, LSU Christian Kirk, WR, Texas A&M Micah Kiser, LB, Virginia Harold Landry, DE, Boston College Darius Leonard, LB, South Carolina State Iman Marshall, CB, USC Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma Tarvarus McFadden, CB, Florida State Mike McGlinchey, OT, Notre Dame Sony Michel, RB, Georgia Anthony Miller, WR, Memphis Kolton Miller, OT, UCLA D.J. Moore, WR, Maryland Nick Nelson, CB, Wisconsin Quenton Nelson, G, Notre Dame Isaiah Oliver, CB, Colorado Brian O'Neill, OT, Pittsburgh Da'Ron Payne, DT, Alabama Rashaad Penny, RB, San Diego State Harrison Phillips, DT, Stanford Billy Price, C, Ohio State Frank Ragnow, C, Arkansas Martinas Rankin, OT, Mississippi State Justin Reid, S, Stanford Calvin Ridley, WR, Alabama Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA Mason Rudolph, QB, Oklahoma State Jaylen Samuels, RB, N.C. State Tim Settle, DT, Virginia Tech Braden Smith, G, Auburn Roquan Smith, LB, Georgia Equanimeous St. Brown, WR, Notre Dame Courtland Sutton, WR, SMU Chad Thomas, DE, Miami Trenton Thompson, DT, Georgia Leighton Vander Esch, LB, Boise State Vita Vea, DT, Washington Akrum Wadley, RB, Iowa Denzel Ward, CB, Ohio State James Washington, WR, Oklahoma State Christian Wilkins, DT, Clemson Connor Williams, OT, Texas Isaiah Wynn, G, Georgia

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