Cameron Brown Overview
Position: Linebacker
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 233 pounds
School: Penn State Nittany Lions
NFL Combine Performance Data
40-yard dash: 4.72 seconds
Vertical jump: 35.5 inches
Bench press: 16 reps
Broad jump: 123 inches
Cameron Brown 2020 NFL Draft Profile
Cameron Brown enjoyed a productive career as a Penn State Nittany Lion. Over his last two seasons in Happy Valley, he started 25 out of 26 games. In those two seasons, Brown posted 135 tackles, four sacks, and ten pass breakups. He also forced four fumbles, three of which came in his 2018 junior season. Last year, Brown was selected to the All-B1G third team.
The two positives that stand out right away about Cameron Brown are his length and versatility. At 6’5″ with long arms, he can use his length well both to get off blocks and in coverage. His positional versatility definitely won’t hurt his chances of being a producer in the NFL, either. Brown mostly played 4-3 outside linebacker for Penn State. But, he also played some inside linebacker, stood up on the end of the line as a pass rusher, and lined up in the slot. From there, he would either slide down to blitz off the edge or stay and cover the slot receiver/tight end/running back. He’ll likely be a special teams contributor, too.
Strengths
- Great arm length for disrupting routes in man coverage;
- Nose for the football, gets shoulder on the ball when gang tackling;
- Versatile, capable of playing 4-3 OLB and ILB, or 3-4 ILB (best fit is 4-3 OLB);
- Good blitzer, either up the middle or off the edge;
- Plays physical despite not being strong, hard hitter for his size;
- High motor and tough player, won’t give up on a play.
Weaknesses
- Play strength, definitely needs to put on muscle;
- Struggled getting off blocks of tight ends and running backs, at his current size has no shot against NFL linemen;
- Instincts aren’t great in zone coverage, can get lost easily;
- Problems with play recognition, gets himself out of position when he can’t see a play develop;
- Not a good open field tackler, lets ball carriers slip through his arms;
- Too eager to lower the shoulder and deliver a hit, not willing to wrap his arms and drive through the ball carrier’s legs.
NFL Comparison: De’Vondre Campbell
Teams with need at the position: Atlanta Falcons, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Green Bay Packers, Kansas City Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles
Projection: 6th round pick
Bottom Line on Cameron Brown
There are flaws in Cameron Brown’s game, no doubt about it. But the potential is absolutely there. With the way the NFL is changing, linebackers like Brown are becoming more of a necessity for teams. He gets downhill in the running game and can run with tight ends and running backs. As previously stated, his instincts are still lacking in zone coverage. That can be coached up through film study, though. His length and versatility can’t be taught in any film room.
The issue with Brown’s lack of size/strength is that if he adds mass, he runs the risk of losing out on some of his athleticism. Though his 4.72 40 time won’t turn any eyes, he’s pretty quick laterally. He’s not gonna run down the seam with a slot receiver, but he definitely can keep up with the more athletic tight ends in the league. In the run game, the only real concern is whether or not he’ll be able to get off blocks of NFL offensive linemen.
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