Shakur Brown 2021 NFL Draft Profile

2021 NFL Draft Profile: Shakur Brown

The story of Shakur Brown’s journey to the NFL Draft isn’t your typical run-of-the-mill star-propelled success story you’d expect when talking about a player of his caliber. Coming out of Stockbridge, Georgia, Brown wasn’t labeled a cornerback “prodigy” from the start, rather, making his presence felt on special teams, where he was named Region 4-5A Special Teams Player of the Year as a punt returner. His solid play in all three phases of football earned him an offer from West Virginia University, where he committed to in January of 2017. However, just before the signing date, Brown made the move to enroll at Michigan State, which proved to be a wise decision.

Upon joining Michigan State, Brown impressed scout team coaches, as the redshirt freshman made play after play in practice, even earning himself Scout Team Defensive Player of the Week honors. Brown opened up his Sophomore season with a bang, returning an intercepted pass back 69-yards for a touchdown versus Indiana. Brown went on to impress even more in 2019, starting five games to end the season for the Spartans. In 2020 however, Brown exploded into the national spotlight. Finishing the season with 19 solo tackles and five interceptions, Brown went on to be named to the First-Team All-Big Ten honors team. At the completion of the season, Brown decided to forego his final years of college eligibility and enter his name into the 2021 NFL Draft.

Strengths

Can be very physical with receivers and never backs down from a challenge;

Quickly able to flip his hips in transition;

Possesses intriguing ball skills;

Known for being able to play heads-up football;

Has the ability to line up in the nickel spot for an NFL Team;

Possesses impressive versatility;

Impressive top-end speed;

Immense potential to improve and thrive at the next level.

Weaknesses

Small sample size, only recorded 12 starts at the collegiate level;

Can struggle with false steps and bad challenges on deep throws down the field;

While feisty with receivers, Brown can get a little too grabby at times;

Relatively raw prospect.

NFL Comparison: Donte Jackson

Teams With Need At The Position: Atlanta Falcons, Detroit Lions, Denver Broncos, Dallas Cowboys, San Francisco 49ers, Arizona Cardinals

Bottom Line on Shakur Brown

Currently, it doesn’t seem the committee is fully in or out on the prospect of drafting Shakur Brown. Some draft boards have him listed as getting drafted between the fourth and seventh-rounds, while others have Brown finishing out as going un-drafted. Whatever the case may be, Brown is sure to make whoever adds him to their roster very happy.

The young prospect’s mix of impressive top-skills combined with his physicality and ability to flip his hips quickly make him an incredibly intriguing draftee. In the NFL, Brown’s best fit should come with a team who’s willing to play him as a press corner in a scheme that highlights man coverage. While it may be tough for Brown to solidify his role on a team early on in his career, he’s no stranger to being the underdog. If given the right situation and defensive scheme, Brown could blossom into a solid rotational piece on an NFL defense.