Las Vegas Raiders 2020 NFL Draft prospect profile: Derrick Brown
Fit in Las Vegas
To summarize his profile as a prospect, The Athletic describes Derrick Brown as a versatile player who is “interchangeable at three-technique or edge rusher” and that his impact as a player “was far greater than the numbers, facing frequent double-teams on tape”. The summary goes on to project Brown as a Pro Bowler across the defensive front. So where does he fit in the Raiders scheme?
The answer is anywhere he wants if he does end up in Silver and Black. As we saw in the last Super Bowl, one of the clearest paths to success for a team and a defense is to build a dominant and versatile defensive line. The San Francisco 49ers spent plenty of draft capital on recent years on athletic defensive lineman that can be shifted to different positions and a dominant tackle in DeForest Buckner.
The Kansas City Chiefs took a similar approach with their dominant tackle Chris Jones wrecking gameplans and opposing quarterbacks. Both teams recorded 45+ sacks in 2019 (both top 10 in the NFL) but the totals were spread fairly evenly between the defensive lineman as opposed to having one dominant edge rusher.
If the Raiders were to take that approach to building out their defensive philosophy they would do well to select a player like Brown who can line up everywhere from nose tackle to defensive end. They have other versatile players in Maxx Crosby and Clelin Ferrell who could be truly unleashed with Brown drawing double or triple teams on the inside.
Another case for selecting Brown is his maturity and leadership. South Carolina DT Javon Kinlaw has been linked to the Raiders because of his athleticism and upside but due to concerns about his maturity, insiders like The Athletic’s Vic Tafur think he is not on the Raiders draft board. Brown does not have the upside and raw athleticism of Kinlaw but he is mature beyond his years according to his draft profiles.
The Raiders have placed a premium on selecting mature players who can step in as leaders and Brown fits the mold as a team captain at Auburn and as a member of the SEC’s Student-Athlete Leadership Council in 2017.
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Derrick Brown does not fill a major need for the Raiders but he could potentially address a vital position for a decade and if he reaches his potential will be an Pro Bowler in the near future. He is specifically the type of player and person the Raiders will need as they move to the bright lights of Las Vegas but they will need to get very lucky, or very aggressive, to have the chance of selecting him in the NFL Draft.