Barion Brown, WR, LSU
Size:
Height: 6’1” | Weight: 185 lbs
Accomplishments:
Second-Team All-SEC (2023) • Freshman All-SEC (2022)
“Barion Brown has the speed to be an electric playmaker in the role of a vertical field stretcher for an NFL offense.”
Strengths:
Vertical speed
Ability to accelerate and decelerate quickly
Big-play threat
Special teams playmaker
Concerns:
Limited catch radius
Concentration drops
Improve route-running detail
Film Analysis:
Barion Brown is a true junior prospect who has utilized his electric speed to continue to carve out a bigger and bigger role within the Kentucky offense since he arrived as a freshman. Brown is a versatile movement piece that does everything from stretching the field vertically 50 yards to receiving hand-offs behind the line of scrimmage on end-arounds. Brown's athletic profile is a receiver who has effortless speed and can also accelerate and decelerate quickly to be utilized in the short passing game. This makes him a dangerous threat when he is on the field for the offense.
Starting pre-snap, the defense has to first locate Brown as he is an alignment-versatile player who will also go in motion pre-snap to help give defensive indicators to the offense. Into his release, Brown has a mixed array of releases but prefers to win with quickness, using jab-step releases to threaten defensive backs in a direction and then planting and getting upfield. Into his route, Brown is a quick accelerator that can get on top of defensive backs and then dictate the pace and tempo of the route. At the top of the route, Brown can decelerate and create separation to allow quarterbacks to throw the ball to him.
Regarding his route tree, Brown thrives at deep routes but is also capable of working the short and intermediate portions of the field. An underrated element of Brown's game is his ability to track the football. Brown has natural ball-tracking skills in the deeper portions of the field, being able to catch the ball in stride and continue to pick up yards. Brown also does an above-average job of working back-shoulder throws. Brown can sell the vertical route, getting the defensive back to accelerate, and then decelerate to adjust his body to catch the back shoulder ball. Overall, Brown is a receiver who is versatile in what he offers to an offense, utilizing his speed to set up other elements of his game to be effective.
Brown's biggest improvement as a receiver is his ability to become more detailed and nuanced with his route-running. On in/out-breaking routes, Brown often rounds the top of his routes off instead of making precise cuts. This becomes an issue because it gives the defensive back enough time to get back in phase and a high-level athletic corner will have an opportunity to make a play on the football.
Overall, Brown should immediately offer an NFL team an explosive vertical threat who could utilize his speed in other facets of the game to make impactful plays for an offense.
Prospect Projection: Day 2 — Adequate Starter
Written By: Keith Sanchez