Getty Former Ole Miss WR A.J. Brown
While the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft didn’t feature quite as many wide receivers selected as originally anticipated, that should change on day two. Specifically, Ole Miss Rebels wideout A.J. Brown enters the start of round two as one of the top available players at the position and could be a fairly early pick on Friday.
Brown, who stands 6-foot-1 and roughly 225 pounds wrapped up his junior year in 2018 with career-high marks in receptions and receiving yards. He hauled in 85 passes for 1,320 yards and six touchdowns while also catching 75 passes for 1,252 yards and 11 scores the season prior.
The Rebels receiver showcased the ability to both consistently move the chains and also stretch the field, which is what played a big part in his overall draft stock being high. We’re going to evaluate the latest mock drafts and projections for Brown, along with the best team fits and potential landing spots.
A.J. Brown NFL Draft Projections & Latest Mocks
Some draft analysts pegged Brown as a first-round selection, and it was even believed he could be the New England Patriots pick at No. 32 overall. While Bill Belichick and company did pick a wide receiver, it was N’Keal Harry out of Arizona State.
R.J. White of CBS Sports had Brown going to New England in the most recent mock draft at No. 32. This shows that there’s a decent chance he won’t have to wait long on day two in order to hear his name called. Projecting Brown to the Patriots was a fairly popular choice as well, considering Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller had the same outlook for him.
The Draft Network’s final big board which featured the 300 best players available, was slightly lower on Brown in terms of his overall outlook. Obviously, big boards are handled differently than mocks, as they are just the best available players and not specifically where that name will be picked. Regardless, they listed him as the No. 44 overall prospect, two spots behind Harry, but also ahead of Oklahoma WR Marquise Brown, who was selected No. 25 by the Baltimore Ravens.
A.J. Brown NFL Draft Best Fits Include Packers, 49ers
While there are quite a few teams at the top of round two who could select a wide receiver, one team who could certainly use Brown is the Green Bay Packers. Unfortunately, the Packers may need to trade up if they want him, as they hold the No. 12 pick in round two currently.
This leaves Green Bay behind at least seven or eight teams who could toss around the idea of drafting a wideout. One of which is the San Francisco 49ers, who selected Ohio State star defensive end Nick Bosa with the No. 2 pick in the first round. The 49ers will be on the clock in the No. 4 slot of the round, with the Arizona Cardinals, Indianapolis Colts and Oakland Raiders ahead of them.
Any of those three teams are worth watching, but the Packers and 49ers would both be great options if they’re able to find a way to draft Brown.
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