He’s not the Godfather of soul but this James Brown does know how to move his feet. The question is can he do that at the next level?

Reggie McKenzie recently opened up about the Raiders revised draft philosophy. Among the new outlooks on finding and developing prospects, McKenzie’s team will be taking the best player available every time they’re on the clock in the upcoming draft regardless of need at a given position. But that is pretty much a given when you’ve only got 5 late round picks to work with.

While McKenzie hasn’t said specifically the positions he’s looking to fill he made it clear that depth is the main focus of his first draft for the silver and black. Certainly depth on the offensive line can be included in that area of need as McKenzie has mad mention of seeking out athletic lineman to play in the zone scheme that is coming back to the East Bay.

Troy’s James Brown is precisely the kind of athletic lineman McKenzie and his staff is sure to have an eye on. Though he played left tackle in college Brown is thought to be more suited to play left guard in the NFL. Brown’s stock is being set around the 3^rd to 4^th round area. Here is the book on Brown.

James Brown, OL, Troy

Height: 6’3”

Weight: 306lbs

Strengths: A good athlete that graded out well after his combine performance. Has solid footwork thanks to playing left tackle in college. Excels at run blocking with active hands that keep defenders at bay.

Weaknesses: Playing against lower level competition in college leaves room for pondering how he’ll fare against the cream of the crop. Will have to learn a new position after playing almost exclusively on the outside at Troy. Not much of an asset in pass protection.