Both New York teams passed on Bradley Chubb and the Cleveland Browns did twice but the N.C. State defensive end landed in an ideal spot on Thursday night in the first round of the NFL draft.
The Denver Broncos took Chubb with the fifth overall pick and will pair him with All-Pro defensive end Von Miller.
"Being able to learn from the best, I feel like it's going to be one of the best things ever," Chubb said on the NFL Network's broadcast of the draft.
Chubb, the 2017 ACC defensive player of the year, is the first N.C. State player taken in the first round since a trio went in 2006.
Defensive end Mario Williams was the No. 1 pick in that draft. Chubb wore Williams' No. 9 jersey at N.C. State the past two seasons and broke Williams' school records for sacks (26) and tackles for loss (60).
The Browns, with the first and fourth picks, went with a quarterback (Oklahoma's Baker Mayfield) and a defensive player, just not Chubb _ who was projected as the top defensive player in the draft.
The Browns took Ohio State cornerback Denzel Ward with the No. 4 pick while both the Giants (Penn State RB Saquon Barkley) and Jets (USC quarterback Sam Darnold) went with offense.
