Join me as I take a look at the Titans 2nd round pick Zach Brown, OLB North Carolina. What will he be bringing to the Titans? What are some of my concerns? And what do I think about him?
Name: Zach Brown
College: North Carolina
Age: 22
Height: 6'1
Weight: 244 lbs
Round: 2nd
Pick: 20
I will admit I was rather upset when the Titans picked Zach Brown with Peter Konz still on the board. I felt we had more needs at the offensive line position than we did at linebacker, but as a Titans fan I will always find a way to rationalize what the Titans do no matter what. And I found myself doing it again...
What is he bringing? Coming out of North Carolina Zach Brown brings that athleticism and speed you want in a Will Linebacker. He shows promise, when asked to blitz he gets off the line quickly after the snap. He has the ability to give a solid hit and is NOT afraid of contact, in fact when presented the opportunity to get a clean hit he can lay into a ball carrier. Brown has the speed (4.50) to keep up with most TEs and RBs in coverage with the footwork to go with it. His nose for the football and great speed will help him excel at the Weak-side position.
Now for my concerns. He doesn't take the best angles at times which lead to broken or missed tackles. He also likes to use his hands to drag the ball carrier down, now this could be due to him chasing his down his opponent, but in the game tape I saw him trying to pull the the carrier down rather than hit. My last knock on him would be not wrapping up; the man can hit, but not wrapping up in the NFL could be the difference between 4th and 2 and 1st and 10.
STT's final two cents: The last piece to the puzzle in our LB core, a bit of a project but I have faith in Jerry Gray's system and Frank Bush's teachings. Ayers, McCarthy, and Brown have all the intangibles for their positions. This could be a very dominate LB group with some more experience. Brown will probably be starting on special teams but will see his time in the preseason, something I find myself looking forward to.
