Positional ranking: #11
Big Board ranking: #82
Overview
Position: CB
College: Michigan State
Class: Junior (RS)
Age: 22
Measurables
Height: 5’9 3/4″
Weight: 185 lbs.
Arm length: 30”
Hand size: 8 5/8”
Athletic testing
40-yard dash: 4.61 sec.
Vertical jump: 35.5”
Broad jump: 118.0”
Bench press: 17 reps
3-cone drill: 7.08 sec.
Short shuttle: 4.23 sec.
Strengths
High football intelligence. Ideal skillset for the slot. Low and balanced in coverage. Light feet and always on his toes. Natural stickiness in man coverage. Fluid movement skills. Comfortable in press and off-man coverage. Excellent play recognition as a zone defender. Reads the quarterback’s eyes to jump routes and take the ball away. Tremendous reaction time. Natural feel to identify route combinations. Great instincts against the run. Ideal toughness as a finisher. Plays with desired aggressiveness. Physical taking on blocks. Exceptional ball skills. Five interceptions in shortened 2020 season (seven games). Has experience at all three cornerback spots. Competitive and confident. Shadowed some top wideouts on the outside (held up versus Chris Olave). Defense was noticeably worse without him on the field.
Weaknesses
Below-average size and length. Average long speed. Will get shielded off by bigger targets. Could be an inside-only option at the next level.
NFL comparison
Jourdan Lewis
Conclusion
Overall, Brown is a very instinctive cornerback that can play a variety of coverages and has the requisite toughness to defend the run. The ball skills are a bonus for a player that could have Day 1 starting potential in the slot.
CB is so deep.