Interesting Tidbit on Jason Brown, C

[d_wag]

jason brown will be worth every penny - and he's going to see a lot of them

[Lurker]

yes

 

 

many teams should of as well. I guarantee you that if every team knew how good he turned out to be, that the vast majority would of drafted him. yes? It is easy to be critical in hindsight.

Maybe, maybe not. Duke was an odd choice, no doubt about it.

 

Jason Brown (per Scouts Inc)

 

Strengths: Is a massive OC/OG prospect. Has very good overall strength Has great bulk and is an absolute mauler in the running game. Has a wide base, powerful hand punch and overwhelming lower body strength. When he locks on in the running game it's over. He drives through DL and gets a great push as a run blocker. He can handle the bull rush and matches up well vs. massive two-gap NTs. He also is very aware in pass pro. Has decent quickness in his pass pro set and plays with balance. Has some versatility; has experience at OG and could play there in the NFL. Also contributed in short-yardage situations on UNC's defense as a DT.

 

Weaknesses: His biggest weakness is his lack of athletic ability. He has decent short-area quickness and has learned to make up for what he lacks in mobility with good technique and angles, but his lack of speed and agility will be more of a problem in the NFL. He does not run well and will have a much more difficult time reaching the second level and hitting the moving target in the NFL. He also has adequate short-area skills in pass pro, but the more space he's required to cover the less effective he will be. Has had some minor injury problems in his career, including 2003 leg injury vs. Wisconsin.

 

Overall: Brown switched from tackle to center in 2002 and started all 12 games at the position as a sophomore. He has been a fulltime starter since and has shown a lot of toughness playing through minor injuries while also improving in each of the last two seasons (2003-'04). Brown is an absolute monster in the weight room and has set numerous records for squats, bench press and power cleans at UNC. Brown has decent short-area quickness. He has improved in terms of his angles as a run blocker and feet in pass protection. However, Brown is not a great athlete and he lacks ideal mobility for a center. While Brown could get a chance to play center in the NFL, we feel his best fit will be at guard. Regardless, he has size and strength that cannot be taught, and he continues to improve with experience. As a result, Brown projects as a third round draft selection in 2005.

 

 

Duke Preston

 

Strengths: Takes good angles to blocks, wastes very little motion and is fundamentally sound. Has adequate overall strength. Plays with excellent intensity and is physical at the point of attack. Uses hands well, plays with a wide base and works hard to sustain blocks. Gives great effort on every snap, rarely makes mistakes and is consistent. Possesses good size, does an adequate job of bending at the knees in pass protection and can hold his ground working against bull rushers. Keeps head up, shows good awareness and can adjust to line stunts as well as the blitz. Makes good line calls and is a leader on the field.

 

Weaknesses: Lacks ideal range, will struggle if asked to regularly pull around the play-side corner and will have problems reaching some blocks at the second level. Doesn't have an explosive first step, won't knock many defenders back at the point of attack and will struggle to keep quicker one-gap defenders out of the backfield. Lacks ideal lateral mobility, has some problems adjusting to the moving target in the open field and is vulnerable to double moves in pass protection.

 

Overall: Preston red-shirted in 2000 and he appeared in two games of the 2001 season. He took over as a starter in 2002 and has been the fulltime starter the past three seasons. Preston is a blue-collar player that never stops working and rarely makes mistakes, but his potential is limited by his lack of natural ability. He doesn't run well enough to consistently reach his blocks at the second level and he isn't quick enough to prevent penetration in pass protection against elite one-gap DT's. That said; Preston's work ethic, size and sound technique are enough to give him a chance to compete for a roster spot as a reserve in the NFL. In our opinion, he's worth taking a chance on in the seventh round but not any earlier.