Charles Brown
6′6, 298 pounds | Offensive tackle | Southern California
Awareness: Brown’s reaction skills are solid. He easily picks up counter moves and stunts. Rarely gets complacent during the game.
Balance: Tends to get knocked off his balance when he’s stationary. Does a nice job of keeping his feet under him when on the move.
Initial quickness: Quickly gets out of his stance and into position. Moves downfield with ease. Shows very good recovery quickness when he gets beat to the inside.
Movement: Is a tackle prospect who is very light on his feet. A converted tight end. Brown wasn’t asked to pull or trap much for Southern California. He certainly has the agility to get out on the move, though.
Pass blocking: This is Brown’s best area. He has very good lateral movement to slide into protection with ease. When Brown keeps his feet moving against edge rushers, he can continue to work them around the edge and push them out the play. Will occasionally stop moving his feet and cross his legs, which allows defenders to work on his inside shoulder.
Run blocking: A lack of great strength leads to some struggles in this area. Brown doesn’t sustain his blocks long enough and needs to become more physical. Bull rushers can push him back and get after the ball carrier. Gets to the second level nicely and can neutralize defenders on the move. Needs to be nastier here.
Size: Possesses good height with long arms. Knows how to use his size to his advantage. Can extend his arms to push defenders out of the play. Has plenty of room to add bulk. Could probably put on 20 pounds without it negatively effecting his play.
Strength: This is where Brown really needs to improve. His power is only adequate, and this hurts him in the run game. Additionally, his initial punch is inconsistent.
Technique: Showed improved footwork as a senior, but still needs to improve his stance. Will too often not keep a wide base, which negates his leverage. Lunges some when blocking. When Brown is set in his stance, he uses his hands really well. Showed much better knee bend as a senior.
Final word: Brown really burst onto the scouting scene when he shut down Penn State’s Aaron Maybin in the 2009 Rose Bowl. A converted tight end, Brown is loaded with upside. He has as much potential as any lineman in this year’s draft.
To realize it, however, Brown needs to get much stronger and more aggressive in the run game. His pass protection is ready for the NFL, but his run blocking is not.
Named first-team All-Pac-10 as a senior and won the Morris Trophy, given to the conference’s best lineman. Started two seasons after sitting behind Sam Baker.
Brown is often compared to Jason Smith, but he’s not quite that good. Joe Staley would be a more appropriate comparison.
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