Derrick Brown | DL | Auburn
Height | 6-5
Weight | 318
Strengths
Brown has an impressive physical skill set for an interior defensive lineman. He carries a lengthy, yet muscular frame and has a body that’s ready for the NFL. He fires off the ball with impressive acceleration for a big man and has enough mobility to be a threat on stunts. Brown’s power at the point of attack is noticeable, and he carries a lot of upper-body strength in his frame.
When it comes to hand usage, Brown is one of the best defensive linemen in the class. He is good at working off of blocks to make tackles in space, but he also rushes with active hands and has an arsenal that’s full of pass-rushing techniques and counter moves. His ability to create arm extension through his jabs and reset his hands is very good, as well. A three-year starter at Auburn, Brown has the pedigree of an early-round pick.
Weaknesses
Brown has raw strength in his frame, but his pad level prevents him from unlocking his true potential in terms of play strength. He can be a bit too high when he engages with blockers at the point of attack, and he doesn’t always get all of his weight underneath him. Though he fires off the ball pretty quickly, he doesn’t do a great job of converting speed to power.
When Brown gets into the open field, he doesn’t have much in the way of lateral agility. He doesn’t extremely fluid hips or ankles and, for the most part, struggles with changing direction. He’s very much a defensive lineman who desires to fire straight into the backfield, and that can result in him over-pursuing ball carriers or opening up gaps as a run defender.
Bottom Line
A physical defender with size, strength and speed, Brown fits the prototype of a three-down interior defensive lineman. He’s still a bit of a work in progress, but his hand usage and his physical attributes should see him get drafted pretty early when the draft rolls around.
