ESPN: Jatavis Brown Was One of the Best Value Picks of 2016 NFL Draft

It’s been just under one year since the 2016 NFL Draft and so we have a full season’s worth of games to use to analyze the players taken in that draft. ESPN’s draft guru Todd McShay has put together a list of the top 12 best values from that draft. The Los Angeles Chargers’ own fifth round pick, inside linebacker Jatavis Brown, was his second greatest value in the class. Here is what he had to say about the young playmaker:

We really liked Brown coming out and ranked him as the 12th overall outside linebacker. The biggest concern was his undersized frame (5-foot-11, 227 pounds) and, consequently, where he was going to play. But he was all over the field at Akron. Brown showed great range versus the run, he could rush the QB, and he was solid in coverage. Brown ended up leading the Chargers with 79 tackles and added six passes defensed and 3.5 sacks. The Chargers have to be thrilled with the early returns from their rookie class: Brown, Bosa and TE Hunter Henry all made an impact in Year 1.

A number of draftniks had Brown with a higher draft grade than where he ended up being selected and his athleticism was undeniable, so it should not be that great of a surprise that he outperformed his draft position. However, the degree to which he outperformed it was certainly a pleasant surprise. Brown’s size did not hold him back in any of the ways that people feared heading into the draft and into the season. His athleticism was as obvious running with professionals as it was at Akron.

What do you think? Is Jatavis Brown one of the steals of the 2016 NFL Draft?