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#6 NFL Draft Prospect: Baron Browning (Ohio State)
6’ 3”, 240 pounds; SR
Baron Browning is a former five-star recruit who was generally looked at as the top outside linebacker and on the fringe of being top ten overall.
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He quickly got a role in the rotation for Ohio State and started three games in year two. His junior season was when he really broke out, recording 43 total tackles, 11 of them for loss and five sacks. Last year, in seven games, he picked up three TFLs, a sack and two across the board for PBUs, fumbles forced and recovered.
This young man was a hybrid SAM linebacker for the Buckeyes and filled a multitude of roles. He lined up off the ball in the box, on edge over tight-ends, splitting the difference to the slot receiver and straight up on number threes in trips.
As a run-defender, I love the way he leverages the ball when he has contain responsibility. Ohio State trusted him to stop anything out to the sideline when the corner travelled over to the twin side, making Browning the closest guy to the white line.
That was thanks in part to the type of reliable tackler he is in space, as he only missed three total attempts last season. Yet, when he can get a clean shot on somebody, he can pack a lot of punch to knock them backwards.
Browning also has the speed to be lined up off the ball, shaded outside of the tight-end, and still chase down a zone-run play from behind. He brings plenty of thump at first contact to take on lead-blocks from tight-ends and can pul linemen with his 33-inch arms, allowing him to lock out. He has some freaking wheels when he gets into full-on chase mode too.
There was a really funny play in the second series in the third quarter of the Sugar, where Clemson ran a zone-read and Trevor Lawrence carried the fake; Browning gave him a little shove and flipped him, as if the quarterback got hit by a truck.
However, what makes Browning so intriguing to scouts is his position-less versatility and unique skillset, especially considering what he can do as a space-player, despite weighing in at over a solid 240 pounds.
Browning has all the athletic tools to match guys coming out of the backfield. When flexed out wide with backs and tight-ends, he even showed the ability to defend jump-balls (great break-up in the end-zone against Penn State last season).
He is much more fluid in his lower body and is agile to change directions, belying his size. He can routinely make those 180-degree turns with ease and can cover a lot of ground horizontally while keeping his eyes locked on the quarterback.
Browning has the closing burst to get back to the RB, releasing into flats after avoiding traffic in the middle on mesh concepts. Used as a blitzer from many different angles, he showed a good feel for how to get through and avoid contact.
He was also asked to show a ton of pressure and bail out of it, whether that’s being lined up on the weak-side edge and drop out into the flats or threatening the A-gap and taking the hook zone, where he gets the center to commit but ends up with his shoulders square to the line of scrimmage a good ten yards away from the ball in less than two seconds.
Browning is quick to find targets in space and then pivot his eyes back to the passer. At the Senior Bowl, he showed the most impressive skill movement among all American linebackers. When you look at his explosive get-off coming from the edge, you would think he can play that position full time because he can threaten tackles around the corner.
It took Browning quite a while to establish himself as a key contributor for the Buckeyes defense. While the coaches rotate their linebackers a ton, he was off the field more than Pete Werner and even Tuf Borland, who really was a liability in coverage.
Browning needs to do a better job shooting across the face of blockers in space to funnel the ball back inside on bubbles and sweeps, for example. He could fall foul of NFL scouts calling him a 'jack of all trades, master of none.
He has limited experience reading run schemes from between the tackles. He has yet to learn any moves for an edge rusher. As impressive as his movement abilities in space maybe, he primarily does a lot of rather simple spot-dropping.
Browning’s numbers in coverage last season appeared much worse on paper than what the tape showed because he was tagged the closest defender. Even though he didn’t just lose, the ball was checked down in front of him. He made those tackles with ease.
In the Penn State game last season, Browning took on blocks from Penn State tight-end Pat Freiermuth and then stuck with him on a crossing routs a few snaps later. Any player who can do that is who I'd want in my team because he can give me the flexibility to leave him on the field no matter what type of player I need.
Browning can be an impact player in base and then a mismatch eraser on passing down to go with his untapped potential as a pass-rusher.
