Oklahoma Sooners Football - 2018 NFL Draft Profile: Orlando Brown

The 2018 NFL Draft is finally here, and one of the Oklahoma Sooners’ top prospects is Unanimous First Team All-American offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr. Brown is a behemoth, even compared to his fellow draft classmates, and depending on where he’s selected, he could end up being one of the biggest steals of the draft.

Orlando Brown’s Story

Brown is a legacy of his late father, known to many simply as ‘Zeus’. Zeus played for the Cleveland Browns and the Baltimore Ravens for more than a decade before passing away suddenly when Orlando Jr. was 15, but not before leaving a lasting impact on his gifted son. The Duluth, Ga. product struggled with his weight as a teenager, eventually eclipsing the 400-pound mark. With the support of his family and coaches, Brown trained hard to work himself into one of the better high school prospects.

After redshirting in 2014, Brown started at left tackle for the Sooners and never missed a game (40 games) throughout his entire college career. That kind of continuity shows not only how durable Orlando is, but also how well prepared he is going into each and every game. Besides his enormity, what stands out about Brown as much as anything else is his intense mean streak on the field and his football knowledge in the film room.

In his final season, Brown was named a team captain. His leadership on and off the field was paramount for the success of the offensive line as a unit, as well as the offense as a whole. He was named Big 12 offensive lineman of the year in back-to-back seasons, and earned his way towards Unanimous First Team All-American status in 2017.

NFL Combine Results

40-Yard Dash: 5.85 seconds (improved to 5.63 at OU Pro Day)

Bench: 14 reps (improved to 18 at OU Pro Day)

Vertical: 19.5 inches (improved to 25 at OU Pro Day)

Broad Jump: 82 inches (improved to 89 at OU Pro Day)

3-Cone Drill: 7.87 seconds

20-Yard Shuttle: 5.38 seconds

Orlando Brown had a historically bad showing at the NFL Combine in just about every timed and measured test. Brown was in desperate need of redemption at Oklahoma’s Pro Day, and he was actually able to improve upon just about every mark he set at the combine. Still, a lot of damage was already done to Brown’s reputation and how NFL scouts perceived him.

Brown has been compared to Seattle Seahawks lineman D. J. Fluker, who was drafted No. 11 overall in 2013, and Max Starks, the former Pittsburgh Steeler.

Draft Projections

After his poor combine showing, Brown’s draft stock fell from likely first round pick to probable Day 2 selection. Walter Football ranks Brown as the fifth overall tackle, and still hasn’t ruled out the chance Brown is taken in the first round. USA Today’s draft wire expects Brown to go in the second to third round range, and some are saying it’ll benefit Brown to go later than the first or even second round so he can have time to improve on the things he needs to get better at.

Brown is not a finished product by any means. His footwork could use some extra attention during practice drills, and he could stand to get lower during pass protection so he’s not relying solely on his arm length. That being said, if a team can get Brown in as late as the third round, years from now he could be looked at as one of the steals of this entire draft.

Orlando Brown Highlights (via Soonersports.com)

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