2. Derrick Brown, DL, Auburn
Height: 6’5″ Weight: 326
40-Yard Dash:5.16 seconds
Bench Press: 28 reps
Vertical Jump: 27 inches
Broad Jump: 9 feet
3-Cone Drill: 8.22 seconds
20-Yard Shuttle: 4.79 seconds
60-Yard Shuttle: N/A
Bio: In contrast to Javon Kinlaw, who went the JUCO route, Derrick Brown was one of the top recruits in the nation coming out of Lanier High School in Georgia. He was considered the top prospect in the state, and had offers from Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Missisippi State and countless others as a five-star recruit. Brown chose Auburn, in large part due to a relationship he forged with Tigers’ defensive line coach Rodney Garner.
He was a rotational player along Auburn’s defensive line as a freshman, playing 243 snaps for the Tigers. Brown became a starter his sophomore season, and has held down a starting job ever since. He has been productive against the run and the pass, and was largely viewed as the most complete interior defensive lineman in this class until the rise of Kinlaw.
Stat to Know: Pro Football Focus charted him with just five missed tackles over his entire career. Given the amount of time he played, that is darn impressive.
Strengths: Where to begin? Brown is a beast on the inside, with a high motor and active hands from snap to whistle. His hands are impressive, as he gets into the blockers on every play and has a chance to control them at the point of attack as a result. He gets double-teamed a ton, but is willing to not just eat those but will keep fighting through them to remain disruptive even when he is the focal point of the protection or blocking scheme. He also brings to the table a vast array of pass rushing moves, from rip moves to swim moves to bull rushes and everything in-between.
A fascinating game of his to study is Auburn’s game against LSU. The Auburn defense employed a lot of 3-man “Tite” fronts, leaving him as a nose tackle. In this game he had an almost Aaron Donald-like impact on the field. He commanded every single double-team in this alignment, creating a host of one-on-one opportunities for his teammates.
Then there are times when he just wrecks worlds.
Like he does here:
On this “tackle/end exchange” or TEX stunt, Brown loops to the outside to occupy two blockers, to free up the defensive end cutting inside. But viewing the job as “half-done,” the big DT fights through the double-team and gets the sack himself.
Weaknesses: There are times when Brown plays too high with his pad level, exposing his chest to blockers and creating situations where he can be washed out by the play. As his Combine testing showed, he is not the greatest athlete, so his best plays come when he is moving north/south. He struggles at times to make an impact on outside runs or wide zone plays unless he gets immediate penetration.
Conclusion: The bottom line is pretty simple. If you are intrigued by a disruptive, pocket-pushing defensive tackle who can swallow double-teams, pressure the passer and be a stopper against the run on the inside, then you’ll love Brown. He lacks the ceiling that Kinlaw has, given the South Carolina product’s incredible combination of size, length and athleticism, but it is easy to see Brown having the higher floor to him.
Conclusion: Picture Ndamukong Suh without the nasty streak, and that is what you are getting in Brown. Many have compared him to the former Nebraska standout, and Brown’s floor, disruption in the interior and ability to stuff the run makes it a reasonable justaposition.