When Pro Bowl center Frank Ragnow went down with a toe injury that will force him to miss the rest of the 2021 season, it sure looked bleak for the Detroit Lions. His replacement is Evan Brown, a young journeyman who didn’t stand out in brief trials in his first two seasons while playing for four different NFL teams.
While he’s not Ragnow, Brown has more than acquitted himself nicely as the starting center for the rest of the season in his place. Brown, 25, was the leading component of a Lions line that played a very strong game against Aaron Donald and the Los Angeles Rams in Week 7.
Pro Football Focus noticed how well Brown played. Brown earned the highest pass blocking grade (85.2) of any center in the league in Week 7. PFF didn’t find a single pressure allowed by Brown against one of the NFL’s best pass-rushing defensive fronts.
Is Evan Brown the best center in the NFL?🏆
Evan Brown vs Rams:
🔹85.2 pass blocking grade (1st among centers)
🔹0 sacks allowed
🔹0 total pressures pic.twitter.com/vNimEmfZFC— PFF DET Lions (@PFF_Lions) October 25, 2021
Brown isn’t close to the run-blocking force Ragnow offers in the pivot, but for a backup wearing his fourth NFL uniform since going undrafted out of SMU in 2019, he’s playing some very good football. Give some credit to Lions offensive line coach Hank Fraley, who has worked closely with Brown and is a former center who played with a similar style and almost identical build.
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