INDIANAPOLIS -- It was only three words. It was those three words, though, that carry significant weight with the Indianapolis Colts.

Relentless. Pass. Rusher.

Those three words have been a significant void on the Colts' defense since at least when Robert Mathis had opposing quarterbacks cringing every time they dropped back during his 19.5-sack season in 2013.

That void will remain on the defense and allow any opposing quarterback on the other 31 teams in the NFL to have confidence until the Colts figure out a way to fix that problem.

The opportunity to tend to that matter could be sitting there when the Colts pick at No. 3 in the April draft.

Relentless. Pass. Rusher.

Those were the three words North Carolina State’s Bradley Chubb used to describe why a team should select him in the draft.

“I try to take [Oakland’s] Khalil Mack and [Denver’s] Von Miller and put them into one person,” Chubb said. “Khalil Mack’s a more powerful guy, probably the best long arm in the game right now. Von Miller’s the speed/finesse guy. Just try to put both those together, have some power moves, have some speed moves that I go to.”

Chubb is the premier pass-rusher in this year's class. He’s a player the Colts can’t pass on -- even if Penn State running back Saquon Barkley is available -- if he’s still on the board at No. 3. Chubb had 194 tackles, including 54.5 for a loss, and 25 sacks in his final three seasons at NC State.

“My confidence level is going to say I’m the best player [at the combine],” Chubb said. “I feel like I’ve put it on tape for four years. I’m not going to say another player is better than me.”

Chubb added to his impressive resume so far by running a 4.65-second 40-yard dash, bench-pressing 24 times and having a 36-inch vertical jump during his combine workout on Sunday.

“I think you would be foolish to pass on Bradley Chubb. Foolish,” ESPN NFL analyst Louis Riddick said. “I like Bradley Chubb more than [2017 No. 1 overall pick] Myles Garrett, personally. Bradley has tremendous get-off. Great inside-outside quickness, and when he puts his hands on you, you go down. He doesn’t miss people. Takes on double-teams, set the edge. Bradley Chubb is the man. I love that guy. You pass on him, you better be picking a damn good player.”

The Colts didn’t have to worry about dealing with pass-rush problems when they had Mathis on one side and Dwight Freeney on the other side making life miserable for offensive linemen and quarterbacks, with constant spin moves and swipes at the football. Freeney has been gone since 2012 and Mathis is retired. The Colts are coming off a season in which they finished 31st in the NFL in sacks with 25, their fewest since the team moved to Indianapolis in 1984.

“[Pass-rushers] impact the game tremendously,” Chubb said. “If a team doesn’t have a quarterback, they don’t really have anything. My job is to get after one of the best players on the field, one of the highest-paid players on the field. It changes the dynamics of the game. You see in the Super Bowl, sack-caused-fumble ends the game.

“Take it back to when the Broncos won, Von Miller just going crazy in that game. Super Bowl MVP of that game. This position is such a priority and such a premium in this league because you’re getting after one of the most important positions.”

This is a thin year for pass-rushers on the free-agent market because teams don’t often let those types of players walk away. Colts general manager Chris Ballard has repeatedly said he doesn’t want to overspend on free agents and wants to build the roster with homegrown talent through the draft.

“Teams are holding on to their free agents, as they should,” Riddick said. “That’s why the Colts, if he’s there, need to take Bradley and hold onto to him because he’s something special. I’d be all over that kid.”

The Colts tried to address the pass rush in the first round in the past. They selected Florida State’s Bjoern Werner with the 24th overall pick in 2013. He totaled just 57 tackles and 6.5 sacks in his three seasons in Indianapolis, as he struggled making the transition from college defensive end to outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense with the Colts. Jonathan Newsome was selected in the fifth round in 2014 and Terrell Basham was picked in the third round last season.

Chubb wouldn’t have to worry about making that transition from defensive end to outside linebacker if the Colts select him because they will be playing a 4-3 defense under new defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus.

“You watch Chubb on the last play that he’s on the field in the fourth quarter and he’s playing just as hard then as he was on his first snap in the first quarter,” said an NFL scout who had Chubb in his Southeast region. “He’s a three-down player who doesn’t get enough credit for his ability to stop the run. You don’t have to worry about taking him off the field.”

Chubb smiled when asked if he thought his ability to stop the run was underrated.

“I do feel like it’s a little under-talked about, but in this game it’s about getting after the quarterback,” he said. “A lot of people, that’s their main focus. I can do both. That’s a positive in my game. I can do both. If you want to talk about the pass rush, that’s perfectly fine with me.”

Relentless. Pass. Rusher.

That's what Chubb is, and he's exactly who the Colts need.