49ers 2019 NFL Draft prospect profile: Wide receiver A.J. Brown

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OXFORD, MS – OCTOBER 14: Wide receiver A.J. Brown #1 of the Mississippi Rebels escapes a tackle by safety LaDarius Wiley #5 of the Vanderbilt Commodores at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on October 14, 2017 in Oxford, Mississippi. (Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images) /

A.J. Brown’s Strengths

A.J. Brown burst into the SEC two seasons ago with a 1,252-yard, 11-touchdown campaign with the Rebels. He then backed that up with 1,320 yards and six scores last year, showcasing his ability to be a true No. 1 target:

A.J. Brown Receiving Table
						Rece	Rece	Rece	Rece
Year	School	Conf	Class	Pos	G	Rec	Yds	Avg	TD
2016	Ole Miss	SEC	FR	WR	11	29	412	14.2	2
2017	Ole Miss	SEC	SO	WR	11	75	1252	16.7	11
2018	Ole Miss	SEC	JR	WR	12	85	1320	15.5	6
Career	Ole Miss					189	2984	15.8	19

Provided by CFB at Sports Reference: View Original Table
Generated 3/1/2019.

Brown’s teammate at Ole Miss, wide receiver D.K. Metcalf, is also getting a lot of attention for this year’s NFL Draft. But one might argue the former is far more polished a receiving prospect.

He’s tough, too. At least according to NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah, who used that term to describe what the 6-foot-1, 225-pound Brown has to offer:

"When I go back and study the successful wide receivers at the NFL level, I’m always reminded of the most underrated quality they all have in common: toughness. That is the best aspect of Brown’s game. He plays physical from snap to whistle and isn’t afraid to work in the middle of the field. He can continue to learn and develop the craft of being a successful route runner and pass catcher, but you can’t coach toughness. He’s got it."

Interestingly enough, Jeremiah compared Brown to the Pittsburgh Steelers’ JuJu Smith-Schuster, who is poised to take over the team’s No. 1 receiving role from the perennial All-Pro, Antonio Brown.

But Brown was quick to shake off the comparison, saying “Nothing against JuJu. He’s a great wide receiver. But I don’t like being compared to anyone. I’m different. I’m me.”

Still, if Brown’s trajectory is anything like that of Smith-Schuster, he’ll have a fine career.