Unless he has an incredibly strong pro day at Oklahoma later this month, former Sooners offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr. could fall further down the board than any other player in the 2018 NFL Draft who was originally projected to go early.
Prior to the Scouting Combine, most draft analysts rated Brown as one of the best at his position and a first-round pick. Unfortunately, the 6-foot-8, 360-pound tackle then went out and posted abysmal numbers in Indianapolis. He put up only 14 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press, which is about half of the average at his position. He ran a 5.85 in the 40-yard dash and had a 19.5 inch vertical and 6-foot-10 broad jump. To say Brown disappointed scouts would be an understatement.
One draft analyst spoke with multiple teams who said they believe Brown has gone from a potential first-round pick to someone who will still be around on Day 3.
The fall down the draft board for Orlando Brown will not be a small one. I’ve had more than one team tell me they think he could very well be available by day 3. We will see. Nobody sees him in the 1st.
— Lance Zierlein (@LanceZierlein) March 6, 2018
As Jim Reineking of USA Today notes, most offensive tackles have somewhere around a 5.24-second 40-yard dash time, a 28.4-inch vertical and an 8.5-foot broad jump. That’s all bad news for Brown.
Baker Mayfield, whom Brown was responsible for protecting at Oklahoma, said Brown’s tape speaks for itself.
Baker Mayfield on Orlando Brown's bad workout: "You can look at his film and see he gave up zero sacks last year."#NFLCombine2018
— Chase Goodbread (@ChaseGoodbread) March 2, 2018
If you remember, Mayfield was upset that his offensive line did not get the credit it deserved during the 2017 season. Of course, he’s a very mobile quarterback who has the ability to avoid pressure and extend plays. Brown may have benefitted from that, or perhaps his numbers just don’t tell the entire story.
