Sydney Brown

Pos: SAF

School: Illinois

Ht. 5’10″ 

Wt. 211

Games Watched: Wisconsin, Virginia, Minnesota

One Liner: Attacking defensive back who wins with football IQ, strength and athleticism

Strengths: 

  • Very good football IQ. Brown demonstrates great instincts and has a feel for where plays will develop and go, leading to early diagnosis and attacks towards the ball carrier. In the passing game, Brown has a deep knowledge of route trees and combinations allowing him to run routes for receivers. In zone he is able to lock eyes on the QB while hovering in his zone, keeping himself engaged with receivers in his vicinity.
  • Very good strength. Brown possesses exceptional upper body strength and has a well built, compact frame that allows him to generate immediate pushback against 1v1 blocks. He can hold his own against tight ends and will make an effort counter and power through lineman as well. 
  • Very good ball skills. Brown has the competitive toughness to jump out of his 5’10 frame and into the catch point with good timing and nuance. He doesn’t give up on the play and jars passes lose with strong hands and powerful aggressiveness. 
  • Good athleticism. Brown is able to fly upfield into the POA from the box and is a great linear athlete. He has great short area quicks and can burst out of his stance into the point of attack. 

Weaknesses:

  • Adequate fluidity. Brown is more of a linear athlete at this point, and will really move well north to south at the next level. His hips are a little sticky and causes him to be a tick slow in off man situations where he will have to run with speedsters out of the slot. He has solid recovery speed but he isn’t able to change directions and flip his hips with great transition and fluidity, holding him back a step or two on option routes and deep balls.
  • Marginal patience. Brown over commits against the run which has led to missed tackles. In situations where the ball carrier could attack B or C gaps, Brown will often attack too soon, resulting in the ball carrier attacking the open gap. Brown should look to combine his aggressive and fiery playstyle with patience on developing run plays to be more reliable and miss less tackles. 

Overall Assessment: Sydney Brown looks to be a reliable, powerful box safety at the next level. He can immediately contribute alongside fellow linebackers and has the functional strength and aggression to hold up against big bodied offensive lineman in the pros. Brown is a great linear athlete, and will attack with urgency and burst coming out of his stance, but he isn’t the best when asked to change direction and flip his hips with fluidity. I think he is a versatile player due to his speed and ability to contest catches against big receivers, but he shouldn’t be relied upon as an off man corner with no help over the top. Brown can make an immediate impact from the box and could develop outside of that if he controls some of his overpursuits and corrects hip technique at the next level. 

Scheme Fit: Primarily a box safety but has the versatility to play zone/press from the slot

Pick Projection: Mid – late 2nd

Grade: 6.30