2019 Raiders Draft Prospect Profile
Name: Blace Brown
School: Troy University
Position: Cornerback
Height: 6ft
Weight: 185 pounds
Round Projection: Day 3
Stats
Speed
During his career at Troy, coaches instructed their corners to play off. As a result, teams would feast on the underneath routes. Yet, that fell upon the other corners. Brown broke on the ball with a long, powerful step. If teams did attempt vertical routes, Brown would stay stride for stride with every wideout. Despite the coverage or route, Brown covers ground with burst and a knack for containing speedy wideouts.
Coverage
Brown shows stickiness to his approach. That is to say, that he will not stray too far. In addition, double moves do not give him the profound fits that plague some defensive backs. Blessed with the ability to go from standstill to sprint in few steps, Brown will serve as an all day nuisance.
Agility
If you look at his frame, Brown fits the mold of a twitchy corner. During the backpedal, his hips quickly flip, allowing for a smooth transition. In the screen game, Brown will slip a block using his dexterity to sniff out the ballcarrier.
Ball Skills
When evaluating Brown, don’t evaluate him on this year’s numbers. Teams stopped testing him as often. Before this year, he tallied eleven interceptions and ten deflected pass. In 2018, zero picks and five bass breakups. However, instead of solely basing Brown on those numbers, watch his film. Like most corners should, Brown will track the ball with his eyes and use his body to effectively shield the receiver away from the inside route
Tackling
Although he tips the scale at 185 pounds, Brown will put the ballcarrier on the ground. Unlike some corners, he will not swarm tackle or wait for help to arrive. Instead, Brown lowers his should, but maintains his head level and drives through the target. On the outside, Brown does not fear tackle situations.
Raiders Fit
Why would the Raiders even consider Brown? If you look at his probable position coach, that should explain it. Derrick Ansley played at Troy and ranks second on the school’s all-time list with 19 interceptions. Brown and Ansley could have familiarity. Since Brown stars at Ansley’s alma mater, chance remains great that the Raiders know Brown’s skillset.
On the field, Brown could lineup outside and give the Raiders either depth or a starter. Right now, outside of Nick Nelson and Gareon Conley, the Raiders lack drafted corners. Like Conley, Brown’s frame and ball skills should serve as a bonus. On the other hand, Brown will get his nose dirty and tackle. Overall, if Oakland spent a Day 3 pick on Brown that could be worth it.
