Is A.J. Brown the Best Receiver in the 2019 Class?

A.J. Brown-Mississippi (Ole Miss)

Everyone speaks of Kyler Murray being a two sport standout, but did you know A.J. Brown was selected as an outfielder in the 19th round of the MLB draft in 2016?

At 6’0″ 226 lbs, A.J. Brown is athletic while having big size. A 4.49 second 40 yard dash at the 2019 NFL Combine at 226 pounds is exceptional. Add in 19 reps on the bench press, 36.5 inch vertical, and a 120 inch broad jump to his day at the Combine. All of these numbers gets you a big, strong, wide receiver who has an above average athletic profile for his size. Many scouts have compared him to Juju Smith-Schuster because he is mostly a slot receiver but can play outside as well. Brown is bigger than Smith-Schuster and out performed him in the 40 yard dash, bench press, and vertical.

Production and Skill Set

A.J. Brown’s production is superior to most if not all receivers in the draft. His junior season he had nearly 1300 yards with 11 touchdowns averaging 17 yards per reception. His senior season he went over 1300 yards with 6 TD’s. Brown did this all in the Southeastern Conference (SEC), regarded as the best defensive conference in college football by many football experts.

Brown has fallen under the shadow of his teammate D.K Metcalf for a reason unknown. Brown has almost always produced, outproduced Metcalf, and would most likely have even better stats if he didn’t have Metcalf taking targets away. A.J. Brown is not just a slot receiver and possesses a skill set that sets him atop this NFL Draft Class. Saying he is only a slot receiver is foolish because he has played outside at Mississippi. His yards after catch ability is similar to Odell Beckham Jr. He can escape, evade, and break tackles after the catch like no other. He has great hands and is willing to block using his size also.

Conclusion

A.J. Brown is large at 226 lbs but has amazing athleticism for his size. He was drafted in baseball and produced in the SEC at an elite level in football, even more so than D.K Metcalf. Brown needs to be put atop the class because he can do everything at the receiver position with great size and athleticism with the production to back it up. There is nothing Brown can’t do on a football field and deserves to be in the conversation for #1 receiver.