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Pros: Athletic, gets out of his stance well and has good lateral agility and mirrors pass rushers well when they try to speed rush and has good hand usage. Has good size and seems to have good strength as well, also seems to have pretty good footwork as a pass blocker. Recognizes and picks up blitzes well, and is agile enough to wall off defenders and help seal an edge on a running play.

Cons: He may be athletic, but he does not look good running in space. He struggles to get outside to run screens and doesn’t do a good job of engaging players once he gets outside. He flashes the ability to get to the second level, but overall he is not good at pulling or blocking on the run. He leans into blocks sometimes when he is run blocking and he will block ineffectively when he does this. He also needs to work on sustaining blocks longer, as he will occasionally be pass blocking and let up only to see his player continue to rush and sometimes get pressure. He also does this every once in a while when run blocking. He also needs to be coached up to block counter moves better, as he will sometimes lose his balance when he is blocking the defender one way and he changes direction.

Overall: I think Brown is a good LT prospect and is a good pass blocker, he only needs to improve his ability to sustain blocks and continue to take away the speed rush while not giving up a counter move to allow pressure. He takes away the speed rush well however, and will fit in at LT nicely. I question whether he will be a good fit in a ZBS as I previously thought he might because he does not look good in space, and I have not seen him attempt cut blocks so I cannot speak to how good of a fit he would be in that respect. He is not a good drive blocker though, so the team that drafts him will have to be ok with getting a quality pass blocker once he is coached up a bit and not being able to run right behind him as he drives his man 2 or 3 yards off the line of scrimmage. He also needs to learn not to lean into his blocks as much, which will make him more effective when asked to drive block or wall off defenders. If he can learn to play through the whistle and keep after his man he will improve as a run blocker and as a pass blocker.

Projection: 1st round: I think he will go top 20, but that is my opinion. He is my #3 OT and has been in my top 3 OT’s for a long while, but he has room to improve as a pass blocker and more room to improve as a run blocker. But LT’s who can take away the speed rush are very valuable, and for that reason I would be surprised if he made it out of the top 20-25 range on draft day.

SKILLS
1-poor, 2-weak, 3-above average, 4-very good, 5-elite

STRENGTH: 3.0
PASS BLOCKING: 4.0
RUN BLOCKING: 3.0
FOOTWORK: 3.5
TECHNIQUE: 3.5
MOBILITY: 3.0
MEAN STREAK: 2.0

CHARLES BROWN
6-5/297
Southern California Senior
40: 5.21 (Campus)

PROS: A good athlete that flashes good footwork and technique. Gets hands up quickly into his set and delivers a strong hand punch. MOves well and does a nice job blocking in space and downfield. Moves like a tight end. Can block on the second level and get seal on linebacker. Shows potential as a cut blocker. Has mean streak and does a good job finishing his blocks. Has pop off the snap and can drive block.
CONS: At times his technique can get sloppy, as he opens his stance too early or can be slow off the snap. Needs to do a better job adjusting in space and will overextend at times in pass protection. Doesn't always show consistent pop off the snap. Lacks ideal strength. Will miss some assignments when blocking on the second level.
OVERVIEW: Successor to Sam Baker at left tackle and was a solid starter the past two years. Was switched from tight end as a freshman. Did get some reps at right tackle during his career at USC.
NFL FORECAST: Brown is athletic and has potential. He needs to fill out his frame and get stronger. He's not going to be a road-grader, but can be an effective run blocker because he gets position. He needs work in pass protection, but flashes the potential to be a very good blindside protector for some NFL quarterback. He's the type of guy that I wouldn't necessarily choose to build around, but if he joined an already established line then I think he could work himself into being a top left tackle. For example, if he was drafted by the Colts, I think inside three years he would be a perennial Pro Bowler. But not the case if he was drafted by the Raiders or somebody like that. His forte at the next level will be pass protection, but I think he'll go through some growing pains early on, and may never be a lockdown guy against elite pass rushers. I don't ever see him being a really big guy as he played most of his USC career well under 300 pounds. He has the frame to get bigger, but I'd be surprised if he ever gets above 310. But I don't think he has to. He's capable of contributing right away as a starter.
ATL FORECAST: Brown in many ways is an upgrade over Baker simply because he's a smoother athlete and probably has more upside as a run blocker. But I don't think either guy is cut out to play on the right side, although Brown would probably be the better option once his frame fills out a bit more. But they would form a nice pair of bookend tackles. Brown likely would be a backup as a rookie, but would be one of the best swing tackles in the league and shouldn't have too much trouble beating out Clabo for the starting spot in 2011.
VALUE: He's a rock solid first round pick that could sneak into the middle of the round for a team looking for an athletic guy with upside.

SKILLS
1-poor, 2-weak, 3-above average, 4-very good, 5-elite

STRENGTH: 3.0
PASS BLOCKING: 3.5
RUN BLOCKING: 3.0
FOOTWORK: 4.0
TECHNIQUE: 3.0
MOBILITY: 4.0
MEAN STREAK: 3.5