One of the most dominant players in the country last year was Derrick Browm from Auburn. In a season where he recorded 11.5 tackles for a loss and four sacks, Brown was named a first-team All-American due to his outstanding play.
Before the NFL Combine, Brown was considered a lock to be drafted inside of the top-10 as there are multiple teams that could use his strength and power in the middle of their defense.
But after a poor 3-cone drill, many are questioning the upside of Brown as a pass rusher in the NFL. He is starting to fall in mock drafts and was recently mocked to the Raiders at No. 12 in the latest Rotoworld draft. Take a look at Josh Norris’ thoughts on the potential fit:
I know, the Raiders have solid interior defensive linemen in Maurice Hurst and P.J. Hall. Yet Mike Mayock mentioned the position during his Combine appearance on the NFL Network. Maybe I’m reading into that statement too much, but I know some believe Brown is one of the top talents in this class. That might be re-evaluated after his poor agility scores – interpreted as a lack of juice… but the combo of Mayock and Jon Gruden don’t strike me as the types who would knock Brown because of that.
While Brown would undoubtedly be the best player available, he may not be the best fit under Paul Guenther and Rod Marinelli. Typically, Marinelli has preferred smaller players who can get up the field as pass rushers, and that’s just not Brown’s skillset.
However, if Mike Mayock and Jon Gruden believe Brown is the best player available to them, they could pick him anyway despite the potentially clunky fit. Look for Brown to potentially be available at pick No. 12, making the Raiders’ decision even tougher if CeeDee Lamb or Jerry Jeudy is on the board.
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