I agree about his key and diagnose ability. It is rare. He's always a step ahead of everyone else.
I don't think it will be that big of a deal for him to move to OLB though. He has the athleticism to be more than fine in coverage. The guy is just a linebacker through and through.
CBS SPortsline.com has him listed as the 3rd best OLB in the draft behind Jarvis Jones and Alec Ogletree. However, if he were a couple inches taller and 10 pounds heavier, he would be a first round pick.
Lucky for Dallas, we now run a system where his size wouldn't be a detriment like it is in most NFL defenses, so we could get first round talent in the second round. He is very athletic, but it is his rare instincts and football smarts that makes him a first round prospect. He's a terrific football player.
Here is what CBS Sportsline says about him:
ARTHUR BROWN
6-1 228 lbs.
OVERVIEW:
It is seemingly an annual rite of passage. Every year there is an ultra-productive linebacker who, if only an inch or two taller, would warrant top 15 consideration. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were the fortunate recipient a year ago when they landed former Nebraska star Lavonte David in the second round. He went on to record 139 tackles as a rookie, tied for the eighth best in the NFL. This year, teams have two undersized stars to choose from in Rutgers' Khaseem Greene and Brown, who disappointed in his first stop in college but has since coming home has developed into an All-American and LOTT Impact Trophy finalist.
Originally signing with Miami (Fla.) out of high school, Brown was one of the highest recruited players in 2008 and chose the Hurricanes over offers from just about every other program in the country. Brown struggled to crack the starting lineup in his two seasons in South Beach, finishing his Hurricane career with only 17 tackles. Never quite fitting in at Miami, he moved back to his home state of Kansas, transferring to Kansas State.
After sitting out the 2010 season due to transfer rules, Brown had a stand-out junior campaign at middle linebacker in his first season with the Wildcats, totaling a team-best 101 tackles with 9.5 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks and one interception. His breakout performance earned him the Big 12's Defensive Newcomer of the Year.
For as reliant as the Wildcats were on Heisman finalist Collin Klein on the offensive side of the ball during a run to the Fiesta Bowl in 2012, the team was every bit as dependent upon Brown on the defensive side. The surprisingly stout playmaker posted an eerily similar season in 2012 as he had his first season in Manhattan, recording 100 tackles, seven tackles for loss, two interceptions and a sack despite being the focus of every offense.
Brown's lack of ideal size could push him into the draft's second frame. If so, he, like David and countless others before him, could prove to be a "big" steal.
ANALYSIS:
Strengths: Instinctive, physical defender who, other than his lack of ideal size, ranks among the surest prospects of the 2013 draft. Possesses excellent key and diagnosis skills. Often takes his initial step toward where the play is designed to go before the quarterback has finished taking the snap. Possesses explosive, active hands to quickly slip blocks and plays with excellent leverage, bending at the knees to consistently get under the pads of would-be blockers and pushing them aside to make the play in the hole. Very good balance to avoid cut blocks and when knocked to the ground; remarkably quick in popping back up. Very good sideline to sideline speed, which could allow him to remain at inside linebacker in the NFL. Drops back into coverage fluidly, demonstrating not only the athleticism but the awareness to handle this responsibility in the NFL. Times his blitz well with the snap, showing the flexibility to slip past blockers, flatten out and close on the quarterback.
Weaknesses: Obvious size concerns, though he plays much bigger than he looks. Tendency to take on blocks with alternating shoulders, putting him in excellent position to slip off and make tackles but also could be jeopardizing the long-term health of his body, especially considering his relative lack of size in the first place. Stands out on tape for his size, physicality and open-field tackling, but hasn't proven to be much of a playmaker over his career, posting "just" three interceptions and not a single forced fumble over his collegiate career. Struggles while at Miami open up concerns about how well he'll handle the jump to an NFL team further from home.
COMPARES TO: Curtis Lofton, ILB, New Orleans Saints -- Like Lofton, Brown plays bigger than he looks and will quickly prove himself to be a vacuum tackler in the NFL. To emerge as one of the elite at their position, however, each has to show a greater ability to cause turnovers.
--Rob Rang
Link:
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/1619684/arthur-brown
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