Tennesse Titans wide receiver A.J. Brown is undoubtedly the most impressive rookie pass-catchers this year.
The New England Patriots will see him on Saturday in the wild-card round of the playoffs. He’s recorded 52 receptions, 1,051 yards and eight touchdowns — with an astounding 20.2 yards per catch. Brown is a big-play receiver with a 6-foot-1, 226 pound frame.
He was still on the board when the Patriots drafted the No. 32 overall pick, which turned out to be N’Keal Harry. Bill Belichick saw Brown in a pre-draft visit and spoke about the meeting while speaking with reporters on Tuesday.
“Impressive. Very,” Belichick said, per Mark Daniels of the Providence Journal. “Looks, there’s great receivers down there (in Ole Miss) – receivers and tight ends. They had a real explosive group and he was a big part of it. It was impressive. He’s obviously done well. Really when we practiced against them that was about the first time he got on the field, I don’t think he’d done a whole lot before that. Then we saw him out there those couple days of practice and kind of gradually, through the course of the year, it’s hard not to notice him.”
It’s also hard to notice the fact that Belichick passed up on Brown and a few other talented rookie receivers. But, Harry’s injuries couldn’t have been predicted and his future in the league still looks promising. He’s totaled 12 catches for 105 yards and two touchdowns in seven games this season.
As for Brown, he’ll be Ryan Tannehill’s No. 1 receiving option and a huge task for Stephon Gilmore.
“He’s made so many explosive big plays,” said Belichick. “He’s a tough guy to handle. He’s big and he’s fast, good with the ball in his hands. Smart kid. They move him around. He does a lot of different things. He has an extensive route tree and looks like there’s obviously a great chemistry between him and (Ryan) Tannehill. They’ve been very productive together.”
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