The thing that jumped out at me about Brown was that he only played one year at Ohio State. He got a few reps as a Freshman, had a redshirt year, then an OK sophomore year and declared for the draft. I'd rather have him on our practice squad for a year and then competing for a roster spot next year than putting up a big season at OSU and having to spend a higher draft pick on him -
NOAH BROWN | Ohio State
GRADE 5th Round
BACKGROUND: A four-star athlete recruit out of high school, Brown committed to Ohio State over Notre Dame, Rutgers and Penn State. With an experienced core of receivers on the 2014 National Championship Buckeyes, including future second rounders Devin Smith and Michael Thomas, Brown recorded only one catch for nine yards as a true freshman. He was expected to push for starting reps in 2015, but a leg injury during preseason camp ended his season, taking a redshirt year. Brown returned in 2016 as a redshirt sophomore and won a starting job, finishing second on the team in catches (32), receiving yards (402) and touchdowns (seven) to earn All-Big Ten Honorable Mention honors. He surprised many by electing to skip his final two seasons of eligibility and enter the 2017 NFL Draft.
STRENGTHS: Impressive size dimensions with a powerful build, long arms and large hands…footwork to make hard stops and snap out of his breaks…strong route acceleration and looks to establish leverage…beautiful body control to make controlled adjustments on the ball…expands his catch radius to scoop off his shoelaces or snare a few feet from his body…quick to find and isolate the football, making tough grabs look routine…works back to the ball…physical vs. press to power through the jam, effectively using his hands…comfortable with a man on his hip and uses his frame to shield defenders from the ball…tough over the middle with the body armor to endure contact…plus blocker with his upper body strength to control the point of attack…high scoring percentage with a touchdown every 4.7 receptions over his Ohio State career.
