With the NFL Draft around the corner, teams are starting to lock their boards in place and decide which prospects they think have the best chance of succeeding in the NFL. Teams that are in need of a pass rusher will be taking a long look at these prospects.

1. Bradley Chubb, NC State

Chubb is by far the best defensive lineman in the 2018 draft class. At NC State he was able to break Wolfpack legend and former number one overall pick Mario Willams' records for both sacks and tackles for loss. He has both the size and speed to dominate in the league.

At 6'4" 270 lbs. Chubb is big enough to hold up well against the run in the NFL. More importantly, it is rare to see people his size with the level of athleticism he possesses. He ran a 4.65 40, had a 36 inch vertical, and ran 4.41 shuttle. He put up the numbers you would expect from a relatively athletic linebacker as a D-lineman. More importantly, when you turn on his tape you can immediately tell he is special. If you watch the Louisville game you can see him single-handedly take over and change the scope of a game as a lineman. He has a rare level of talent and will be able to get after quarterbacks from day one.

2. Marcus Davenport, UTSA

This is a player I was initially bullish on. I am always wary of a guy that don't necessarily have elite levels of production but elite athleticism and rises on boards based on that athleticism.

Most guys like this end up being someone like Dion Jordan rather than actually developing into a star when they get into the NFL. However, when I started to watch Davenport's tape I started to like him more and more as a prospect.

No, he did not play against elite competition at UTSA and while his 8 sacks are nothing to scoff at, one would like to see more production out of a guy who will likely go in the top half of the first-round (especially when playing against the level of competition he played against).

But when I watch this guy its hard not to love the potential. When I first watched him play I was wondering what was so special about him. About ten plays in I finally saw what scouts raved about, he came out of his stance like a shot of lightning and beat his man almost immediately. A few plays later he shot the gap on the goal line to stuff a run in the backfield and I was convinced he could be special.

Yes, he was doing this against players that likely have no shot at the NFL, but his flashes of brilliance were impressive against any level of competition.

At UTSA in the film I watched he was relatively inconsistent but he was able to flash how good he could be multiple times. One play he would look like the next Chandler Jones and the next he would look like an average UTSA prospect. These inconsistencies, however, seemed to be all due to technique. He does not consistently get off of the ball at top speed and struggles with his pad level but these issues can all be fixed with technique and coaching. While I don't necessarily think he can be dominant out of the gate I think he has the potential to be special if he goes to a team with a staff in place to help him reach his potential.

3. Harold Landry, Boston College

Landry is an interesting prospect. His athleticism is off the charts for someone at his position and he had the production to match that during his junior year (16.5 sacks as a junior). However last year he had a major drop in his production when dealing with an ankle injury. While you don't necessarily want to downgrade a prospect based on an injury, Landry's weaknesses really stood out while he was injured. He doesn't really have a strong repertoire of pass rushing moves and typically beats lineman off of simply being faster than them. While someone with his athleticism will be able to run around lineman for high levels of production in college, he will have a lot of trouble in the league if he doesn't develop some pass rushing moves.

In the NFL he's going to have to learn how to be a football player instead of just a sprinter but he has the potential to be someone like Vic Beasley or Bruce Irvin with the right team.

4. Sam Hubbard, Ohio State

Hubbard is a prospect with the potential to take a dip on draft day because he's not the sexy edge rush prospect that a lot of teams like. While he had a good 3-cone time and Vert he opted to not run the 40 at the Combine. When he did run at his pro day he put up a middle of the road 4.88 and that speed shows on tape. He has an adequate but not great burst and the same goes for his speed in pursuit. He is more of a player that will outwork opponents and beat lineman with technique rather than being a quick twitch athlete.

This will turn some teams off because typically this is a low floor low ceiling player, but he is solid in the run, a solid pass rusher, and solid in diagnosing plays. He's good at everything but not great at any one thing and that can help teams that are looking for a safe pick in the first round.

5. Arden Key, LSU

Key is a prospect that I honestly wouldn't touch in the draft but his potential is high enough that he can't be left off any list of top edge rushers. Key had one dominant year at LSU and at the end of last year was considered to have the potential to be the number one overall pick in the draft this year. However, the year before that and this year he was extremely disappointing. While he did have 11 sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss in 2016, in 2015 and 2017 combined he only had 9 total sacks with another 12 tackles for loss.

In one season playing up to his potential, he had more production than his other 2 seasons combined.

He's a great athlete with a decent set of rushing moves but you have no clue which Key you're going to get. He ballooned up to 270 during the season even though he showed up to the combine at 238, and his work ethic has been questioned. All of that happened while he was in college, essentially auditioning for the NFL. One has to wonder what happens when he starts getting NFL paychecks. He's a boom or bust prospect that probably has too much potential to slip past the second round of the draft, but he will either be out of the league in a few years or a superstar -- there is no in between with a guy like Key. Right now there's about a 50/50 shot either way and that will scare a good amount of teams away.
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