With the 51st pick, the Tennessee Titans got one of the steals of the 2019 NFL Draft in receiver A.J. Brown. Houston Texans coach Bill O’Brien recognizes that with an abundance of praise while claiming him to be the NFL’s best rookie wideout.
A.J. Brown? Tough matchup. Very strong, they ran a reverse with him against the Saints, he took it 50 yards for a touchdown,” O’Brien said on Thursday. “The guy is hard to tackle, he’s a really good route runner. When I look at rookie receivers, he’s got to be the rookie receiver this year. I mean I think he is, right? I don’t know too many other rookie receivers that are playing (like him).”
Brown, an Ole Miss product, has blossomed into the No. 1 role in the Titans’ offense. He has 48 receptions for 927 yards and seven touchdowns on the year, in turn making him a legitimate NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year candidate.
“ I think it’s hard to do what he’s done in your rookie year as a receiver. I got a lot of respect for the guy and the way that they use him,” O’Brien said.
O’Brien knows his Texans have their work cut out for them when facing the 6-foot, 226-pound Brown. The last time they faced him, he recorded eight receptions for 114 yards and a touchdown.
Though the 22-year-old Brown logged just one reception for 34 yards in a loss to the New Orleans Saints in Week 16, he was effective. He took a sweep play 49 yards to the house in the first-half to build-up their lead.
“He’s a very difficult, very strong player, he’s got good hands, hard to tackle, can run all the routes,” O’Brien concluded. “It’s going to be a difficult matchup.”
If the Texans are serious about winning a potentially meaningless matchup, shutting down Brown is key.