Scouting Report: Brown is a converted tight end who's made the move to left tackle largely on his athleticism. He's got quick feet, is very agile and is able to get to and engage the defender easily. He uses hands well, and can redirect defenders. You can see he has a ton of potential to be an elite pass protector. But he's too light in the seat for me, and doesn't play with nearly enough strength, especially in the run game. He does an excellent job getting outside on screens and getting to the second level and engaging defenders. But he looks to be a guy who could easily get overwhelmed in the run game and against larger defensive players.
Draft Status: In a down draft class for elite talent at tackle, a guy as athletic as Brown who projects to LT with so much upside will almost certainly lock down a mid first round grade. The team that drafts him will be doing so knowing he's going to need to get bigger and stronger at the point of attack. I can see several teams in the first round who will jump at his potential.
Final Analysis: Overall I like Browns potential, and I think he has the chance to develop into a great pass protecting left tackle. But I don't like the idea of a tackle who weighs less than 300 pounds in today's NFL especially if you play a schedule that includes a lot of 3-4 defenses. He'll need to find the right team in the right scheme, but there's no doubt in this class he has a chance to be a special player.
Reminds me of: Winston Justice, OT Philadelphia Eagles-Justice came into the league with more upside than college production, and was drafted in large part on the idea that he would develop into a great player and that's what the team that drafts Brown will hope for as well.
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Scouting Report written by Curt Popejoy |
