Bengals draft Ohio State Sam Hubbard at 77

The Cincinnati Bengals select Ohio State defensive end Sam Hubbard with their first third-round pick at 77.

The Cincinnati Bengals continue to address the defense on day two with the selection of Ohio State defensive end Sam Hubbard. With Carl Lawson moving to more linebacker roles in 2018, the Bengals wanted to find another pass rusher to put opposite of Carlos Dunlap. Hubbard has great size and motor to make up for his lack of athleticism.

Something that analyst Lance Zierlein said about Hubbard in his draft profile is that he would fit best in a 4-3 scheme that is blitz-heavy and twist-happy. This goes to the aggressiveness the Bengals want to bring to their defense with new offensive coordinator Teryl Austin. This makes sense with Cincinnati moving Lawson to more linebacker roles to allow him to blitz from more areas than just defensive end.

Named first-team academic All-American during his time at Ohio State, Hubbard is extremely intelligent and learns quickly. He spent most of his time in the weight room to build his frame when switching from lacrosse to football. Hubbard was also another film junky at Ohio State.

During his time at Ohio State, Hubbard hauled in 48 total pressures according to Pro Football Focus which ranked 5th most among 2018 NFL draft power 5 edge defenders. Hubbard also played safety in high school making his coverage skills something to watch at the next level. Cincinnati is looking for versatile players who can play multiple roles and Hubbard looks to fit that role.

Next: Bengals select Wake Forest safety Jessie Bates

Could we see Hubbard playing an edge role in a 3-4 in some packages to help with coverage? Much like what the Bengals are doing with Lawson, we could possibly see with Hubbard as well. His three-cone drill time was elite for a man at 6’5″ and 270 pounds with a 6.84.