Athletic Profile
Height: 5113
Weight: 203
Arm Length: 31 1/4”
40 Time: 4.65
Vertical: 32 1/2”
Broad Jump: 911
3-Cone: N/A
Shuttle: 4.21
Relative Athletic Score: 5.96
* Indicates Recorded At Pro Day
Statistics
2022: 60 TKL / 13.9 MIS% / 27 RSTOP / 15 PRESSURES / 5 SCK / 4 INT
2021: 66 TKL / 15.1 MIS% / 18 RSTOP/ 1 PR / 0 SCK / 6 INT
Pros
Instincts
Versatility
Run Defense
Ability to Run the Alley
Zone Coverage
Cons
Man Coverage
Athleticism
Pursuit Angles
Range
Summary
Ji’Ayir Brown transferred to Penn State prior to his Junior year from Lackawanna Community College where he quickly became an impact starter logging 600+ snaps in back to back years. A versatile player he split time at both safety spots and even some logged some nickel reps. A high IQ player with fantastic instincts, Brown appears to be a step ahead of everyone else on tape. His ability to read and close down hill makes him a fantastic run defender. Brown fills the alley extremely well, staying calm and compose when asked to navigate traffic in the run game. He is a sound tackler that brings his feet and wraps up in the open field. He does have a tendency to take poor pursuit angles and make tackles more difficult on himself than they have too be. This is generally a problem because Brown lacks top end athleticism. He has average quickness and poor long speed which mean poor pursuit angles typically lead to big plays. His limited speed also reduces his range as a safety, projecting him to fit better in a 2 high role as opposed to being a lone single high player. As a cover player Brown struggles in man to man due to his slower feet and stiff hips. As a zone defender, especially underneath he is excellent, it allows his instincts and ball skills to shine. Penn State used Brown how an NFL team likely will by moving him all over and putting him in situations where he can read and react. An excellent blitzer and spy player he can make an impact on passing downs without being in coverage all the time. Brown projects to be a Day 2 player with starting safety upside and a floor of a standout special teams player.
Grade: 5.92 - Third Round Pick (Has a Chance to Contribute)
Games Watched: Auburn (2021), Michigan (2022), Ohio State (2022), Purdue (2022)