Big Board ranking: #80

Positional ranking: #6

 

Overview

Position: S

College: Maryland

Class: Senior

Age: 22

 

Measurables

Height: 6’0”

Weight: 203 lbs.

Arm length: 31”

Hand size: 10 1/8”

 

Athletic testing

40-yard dash: N/A

10-yard split: N/A

Vertical jump: N/A

Broad jump: N/A

Bench press: N/A

3-cone drill: N/A

Short shuttle: N/A

 

Strengths

Solid overall size. Great instincts. Tremendous overall tackler. Outstanding vision and feel in run support. Ideal technique when he wraps up. Very comfortable in the box. Phenomenal combination of aggression and accuracy as a downhill tackler. Takes down opponents when he gets his hands on them. Excellent control to tackle after pursuing across the field. Fast into the backfield from the box as a run blitzer. Terrific lining up close to the line of scrimmage and penetrating to bring down ball-carriers. Can strike with a big hit to the midsection. Tough and feisty. Very willing to make tackles inside. Will try to take on blocks with physicality. Often seems to make tackles short of the sticks on third down. Excellent punching at the ball to force fumbles. Smooth in movements and cover transitions. Extremely quick reacting to throws in front of him as a zone defender. Good feet to match opponents in man coverage. Accurate getting a hand in at the catch point. Very good ball skills. Tracks the ball well from centerfield. Intelligent reading the quarterback and routes from robber coverage. Played with more control as a hitter in 2023. Played great outside of a couple of mistakes versus Michigan (2023) and Ohio State (2023).

 

Weaknesses

Needs to play with improved overall discipline. Can be fooled by play-action fakes in coverage. Average speed and range. Would like to see more consistent impact power as a tackler. Sometimes needs to drag opponents to the ground. Might be overpowered by offensive linemen that catch him in space. Had some missed tackles in space versus Michigan (2022).

 

NFL comparison

Jamal Adams

 

Conclusion

Overall, Brade is a tough, well-rounded defender with experience playing anywhere from along the line of scrimmage to being a single-high safety. The best fit would be playing closer to the action, but teams should be encouraged about him as a Round 3 target after improvements made in 2023.