NFL Draft Prospect Breakdown: A.J. Brown

A.J. Brown, WR, Ole Miss

Strengths:

Brown is an exceptional route runner and he creates instant separation at the line. He sells his routes really well and his footwork allows him to make quick breaks. Brown is extremely dangerous in space after the catch and can often turn a 5 yard route into a 20 yard run after the catch. He has the short area quickness from his feet to his hips. That quickness will that allow him to be tricky to tackle in space.

Brown is best suited in the slot where he can make quick cuts across the middle to gain a lot of separation and space. His size and strength allows him to break tackles from defensive backs. He has very reliable hands and excels at high-pointing the football. He is a red zone threat due to his ability to adjust his body and catch the ball in traffic.

Weaknesses:

Brown lacks the top-end play speed that is needed to get over the top of a defense. While it works in the short game in college, he could struggle gaining separation in the NFL due to his lack of speed.

Draft Projection:

First Round pick

Brown is a dangerous play maker after the catch and his great route running could lead to a long career in the slot, and creative teams will find ways to get him the ball, but he can excel in any offense if played correctly. Brown has fallen slightly in the draft, but he has the potential to be a steal at the end of the first round due to his abilities after the catch. He ran well at the Combine, but his tape doesn’t show the speed necessary to be a deep target. Ultimately, Brown could be selected anywhere from 10-50 in this draft and I wouldn’t be too surprised.