Everette Brown DE/OLB 6'2 256 Florida St. Jr. 4.73

Brown had an immediate impact for the ‘Noles as a freshman, earning Freshman All American honors after tallying 27 tackles, 13.5 for loss, and three sacks on the year. As a sophomore he started eight of 13 games, leading the team with 11.5 tackles for loss, and 6.5 sacks to go along with 37 tackles. Brown became a full time starter last year as a junior, and had a tremendous season. He had 36 tackles, 21.5 for loss, and 13.5 sacks on the year.

Strengths

Everette Brown is a true game changer as a pass rusher. His ability to apply pressure off the edge is second to none in this draft. He is a physical specimen with tremendous athleticism and speed. Brown explodes off the snap and aggressively gets up the field towards the quarterback. He uses his natural athleticism and agility to routinely beat tackles. He anticipates the snap well, and quickly accelerates once locks onto his target, and has the speed to chase plays down. Brown has been extremely productive, even in a reserve role. He only started 11 games during his first two seasons in Tallahassee, but managed 25 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks. Brown’s pass rush ability will translate to an OLB position in a 3-4, or a DE in a 4-3 alignment.

Weaknesses

Brown carries the tweener label, which really has not been a negative for years. It creates some questions about where he fits best and some players just do not make the transition from hand down to standing up. As a defensive end, he lacks the bulk to hold up at the point of attack at the line of scrimmage, and must bulk up or be relegated to a situational role. As a 3-4 OLB, he will need to learn to play in space and cover at times.

Future

Brown appears to be the ideal prospect as a 3-4 outside linebacker. His pass rush ability will impact any club in any defense, so he carries a lot of value in the draft. Brown has done nothing but solidify his stock in the post season. He checked in a bit shorter than expected, but the athleticism and speed have kept his stock in the first round, with a possibility of landing in the top 20.