From now until the 2021 NFL Draft takes place, we hope to showcase as many prospects as possible and examine both their strengths and weaknesses. Most of these profiles will feature individuals that the Pittsburgh Steelers are likely to have an interest in, while a few others will be top-ranked players. If there is a player you would like us to analyze, let us know in the comments below.
#6 Tre Brown/CB Oklahoma – 5’9/6 188
The Good
– Attempts to play bigger than frame, feisty, competitive corner who can annoy wideouts
– Plus athlete, excellent straight-line speed, fluid mover and changes directions with ease, able to sink hips and explode, twitchy cover corner
– Speed to carry routes vertically
– Willing tackler able to take on bigger receivers
– Understands leverage and angles in man coverage along sideline
– Impressive hands and able to finish plays
– Came up big in clutch situations for school
– Good effort player who doesn’t give up on the play
– Kick return experience and value
– Very good starting experience
The Bad
– Undersized with poor length (30 1/4 inch arms)
– Lack of height/length hurts him at catch point, generally plays with good technique but struggles to play pocket and compete on high passes because of size
– Desire to play big has consequences, too grabby and penalized too often, holds and grabs when he’s in trouble
– Inconsistent tackler, has “want-to” but more often cuts players down in open grass
– Risk-taker who can get burned, prone to getting beat on double-moves and sluggos
– Most work came on outside, likely will have to kick to slot at next level
– Prone to getting stuck on stalk blocks in run game
– Wasn’t impactful in the run game
– Gets overpowered by bigger receivers at top of route
Bio
– 33 career starts for the Sooners
– Career: 141 tackles (8.5 for loss) 31 PDs, 4 INTs
– 2020: 31 tackles (1 TFL) 6PDs, 3 INTs
– Second-Team All Big-12 in 2020
-55 career kick returns, 21.9 average, zero TDs
– Four-star recruit out of HS, chose Oklahoma over LSU, Texas, and USC among others (21 total offers)
Tape Breakdown
If the Steelers lose Mike Hilton or Cam Sutton this offseason and especially if they lose both, cornerback will be a real need for this team. At 5’9, 188 pounds, someone like Tre Brown profiles as a possible slot option. He spent most of his time at Oklahoma playing left cornerback, though had a slot alignment versus some empty formations, but probably kicks to the nickel in the NFL.
Brown’s best trait is his athleticism. Great straight-line speed, fluid change of direction, just moves well overall. Great example of that open field speed is this touchdown-saving tackle in this Big 12 Championship game against Baylor. Big play.
Brown has good hands. I separate hands from ball skills. Ball skills are break-ups and deflections. Hands are INTs. And Browns’ three picks in ten games this past season are evident the dude has a solid pair of mitts. Way to high point and finish here.
While he’s a good athlete and competes hard, his lack of length can hurt him at the catch point. In this first clip, he’s unable to contest this high throw and it’s complete. In the second, 1v1 at the Senior Bowl, he gets boxed out and allows the catch.
Brown is willing to take risks which creates big plays but also makes him vulnerable to giving up something over his head. Two clips here. Gets beat on this double-move that luckily the QB didn’t see. And in the second clip against LSU, he anticipates the slant and gets beat vertically.
Brown simply is too small and not physical enough to hang with big receivers at the top of the route on the outside. He’ll have to move to the slot. He has the skillset to find a home there though his run defense will need to improve a bit from the tape I saw. My comp is some sort of combination between Buster Skrine and one-time Steeler Brandon Boykin.
Projection: Early Day Three
Games Watched: vs LSU (2019), vs Texas, vs Oklahoma State, Senior Bowl
