Cam Brown is the latest Nittany Lion linebacker to hear his name called in the NFL Draft.
A native of Burtonsville, Md., Brown was selected 183rd overall in the sixth round Saturday by the New York Giants.
At this year's NFL Combine, Brown measured 6-foot-5, 233 pounds. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.72 seconds and had 16 reps on the bench press at 225 pounds. His 35.5-inch vertical jump was his best test, ranking him 10th overall among linebackers.
NFL analyst Lance Zierlein wrote that Brown is a "long-limbed, 4-3 linebacker with moldable play traits and an attacking play demeanor. Needs to add muscle and learn to play under control. Brown has the speed and length to put himself into position to make plays but he overshoots open field tackle opportunities. He is average in zone coverage, but has intriguing rush/blitz potential that might be tantalizing. He might climb the ladder from a backup to something more if he can play stronger and with more discipline."
Brown made an instant impact coming out of high school, playing in 12 games his freshman season and earning All-Big Ten freshman honors by both Big Ten Network and ESPN. He became a full-time starter in 2018 and ended up finishing fifth on the team in tackles that season with 63.
Brown increased his total tackle count to 72 in 2019, and those efforts earned him third-team All-Big Ten honors by the coaches. For his career, he had 199 tackles, including 15 for a loss of yards, five sacks, four forced fumbles and 11 pass deflections.
Coming out of the Bullis School in Potomac, Md., Brown earned a three-star rating by Rivals.com. He earned 22 scholarship offers and visited Duke, Notre Dame, North Carolina, Pitt and Virginia Tech. He chose the Nittany Lions over Pitt.
BWI contributor Thomas Frank Carr's Analysis on Windsor:
Brown looks and runs like a modern linebacker but has an unfortunate mix of skills that make him a tough evaluation. His narrow-hipped build limits lower body mass and change of direction skills which lead to a host of problems, chief of which is missed tackles. Without the ability to stop his momentum and close on underneath routes, he's a liability in coverage despite his size and length as well. He is also not adept in man coverage for similar reasons, which is unfortunate given his physical dimensions to match up with tight ends. Brown is a good run defender but it will take a team falling in love with his size and potential over his on-field production and lack of versatility. His draft spot is all over the map and could be selected at any point on Day 3.
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