Round: 3
Pick: 77
Height: 6′ 5″
Weight: 270
Former Ohio State defensive end Sam Hubbard was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the third round of the NFL Draft. He was selected with the 77th overall pick. He joins fellow Buckeye Billy Price as Bengals draftees this year.
Hubbard graduated in December with a degree in finance. He passed up his final year of eligibility to pro one day after the Cotton Bowl.
Hubbard’s last game as a Buckeye was one of his best. He had 3.5 tackles for loss including 2.5 sacks in the dominating win over USC.
He was also a standout in OSU’s regular season finale against archrival Michigan, recording another 2.5 sacks in that win.
Hubbard is a Cincinnati native who was originally committed to Notre Dame to play lacrosse.
However, when Ohio State offered him a chance to play football, he jumped at it.
Hubbard actually played safety for Bishop Moeller High School, but was recruited to play defensive line for the Buckeyes.
After a redshirt year to bulk up, Hubbard earned freshman all-American honors in 2015.
He was second-team all-conference in 2017, recording 13.5 tackles for loss and 7 sacks despite splitting time in the Buckeyes’ deep rotation.
He leaves Columbus ranked 15th on the school’s all time list for most sacks (17) and tackle for loss yardage (154).
Projecting Hubbard As A Pro
Inside The Pylon broke down Hubbard and hundreds of other prospects from a statistical and film-based perspective. What you see below is just a small portion of Hubbard’s player profile. You can get the rest by buying their incredible 431-page Draft Guide.
Overall Rank: No. 36
Position Rank: No. 3 Edge Rusher
Hubbard’s length, first step, change of direction skills, and pass rush plan make him an excellent edge rushing prospect, but he also offers the movement skills and awareness to play in space.
PROJECTIONS
One-Year Projection: Sam Hubbard can start day one in a 4-3 or 3-4 scheme at the next level. He is heralded for his leadership and intelligence. He is a rare athlete that will have immediate value as a pass rusher and an edge setter. He is tough, smart, and physical, and he will have a strong impact year one against both the run and pass.
Three-Year Projection: Hubbard can be a double digit sack defender who is annually in Pro-Bowl conversations. His excellent athletic ability and relentless motor will be major assets for him at the next level.
You can get an extended profile of Sam Hubbard’s NFL projection here.
Agreed, a bargain for sure
This is about right. Maybe even a tad high. First round talk was always nonsense. I predicted Tyquan would go higher.
The Bengals may have selected THE top Buckeye in this draft, and got it done on a round 3 bargain. Sam Hubbard is better than a good prospect. He’s a GREAT prospect. This guy came in as a probable safety candidate and bounced around. He finally settled in at defensive end, a position he was learning on the fly and juggling with stabilizing his weight. He did nothing but get better and better, stronger, faster and more knowledgeable about the game. Sam represents a playing coach for ANY defense because he knows the techniques of those playing behind the defensive front which allows him to operate at defensive end with the confidence that the guys behind him are in the correct position to close holes. If he can remain healthy he’s got all of the physical and mental skills needed to be every bit as good as Joey Bosa.
The Bengals got a 1st round pick at the 3rd round bargain price.