2021 Draft Profile: UNI OT Spencer Brown

Did someone ask for more draft profiles of offensive line prospects? No?

Psych. Of course you did. You all can’t get enough of them. But let’s not beat around the bush anymore with the prospects at the top of the position. Crazy things happen and there’s a chance the Chargers actually do pass on a tackle with the 13th-overall pick.

One of the names I like on day two of this year’s draft is Northern Iowa offensive tackle Spencer Brown. Why do I like him? A couple reasons. First: This.

Brown is one of, if not, the most athletic tackle of the past 30-35 years according to his relative athletic score (RAS). At a TRUE 6’8 and 311 pounds, he ran a 4.88 40, benched 225 pounds 29 times (longer arms make it way harder), and has a three-cone time that would be great an edge rusher that’s 30 pounds lighter than him.

The second reason I’m a fan is because he’s born and bred from the great state of Iowa, like yours truly. Obviously a big plus and why he should be shooting up draft boards, if you ask me.

Compared to where he is now in his career, it’s hard to believe that Brown actually redshirted his first year on campus. As a redshirt freshman for the Panthers, Brown won the starting right tackle job, playing five games before suffering a season-ending injury. In 2018, he came back strong to start 12 of 13 games that year before parlaying that into a Second-Team All-MVFC honor in 2019 where he started every game for his team.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the DI-AA or FCS-level football was pushed off until the spring. Brown decided that potentially waiting to play a senior season wasn’t worth the risk so he decided early on that he would forego the 2020 season and begin his prep for the 2021 NFL draft. And as it currently stands, all of that work paid off.

Oh, and fun fact, he’s been working with former NFL tackle and longtime 49er Joe Staley.

Overall, Brown offers you top-tier athleticism at a position that is usually trying to keep up with some of the best athletes in the entire NFL. You’d think if you want to stop the freaks like Myles Garrett and Khalil Mack, you’d also need your own freaks on the offensive line. Now, I’m not saying Brown is anywhere near capable of carrying out that responsibility at the moment, but his type of potential and upside should be greatly coveted by any team looking to upgrade their protection for their quarterback.

Despite his smooth pass set and elite length, Brown has shown occasionally that his height can actually be detrimental to his game. During this year’s Senior Bowl, Notre Dame defensive end Daelin Hayes (also met with the Chargers) executed a picture-perfect bull rush move that toppled Brown in an instant. This tells us that Brown needs to work on his base strength and a healthy reminder to bend his knees a bit more. Both are coachable points and certainly do not deter me from believing he can be successful at the next level.

Has anyone else here watched Brown at all? What do you think of him as a prospect? What round would you consider taking him in? Let me know what you think.