23 Aug Preseason Scouting Notes: Spencer Brown, OT, Northern Iowa
Redshirt Senior | 6’9” 321 lbs | Lenox, IA
A towering and muscular right tackle with good length and mobility who needs to work on his pad level, hand accuracy, and hip torque
Overview:
Spencer Brown has been the starting right tackle for Northern Iowa since his redshirt freshman season, and is often asked to lead block or pull in Panthers’ power-heavy shotgun offense. He came to the program as a 230-pound high school tight end who played 8-man football in Lenox, Iowa, and has bulked up over 90 pounds since. Brown was named to the 2020 Feldman’s Freaks list for his “chiseled frame” and ability to bench and squat 500 and 600 pounds, respectively. He has a huge, muscular yet lean frame and narrow hips for the position.
Strengths:
– Uses very good length to his advantage to keep defenders at bay and off his chest while pass blocking
– Excellent finisher who shows an aggressive blocking temperament through the whistle
– Mobile player who can get to the second level quickly and has good lateral agility to effectively scoop block
– Good change of direction ability to adjust to inside counters while in the middle of his pass set
– Stays balanced and under control outside the tackle box and has an instinctual understanding of the angles his defenders will take
– Shows good communication skills. Makes a lot of calls at the line to ensure his teammates know their assignments
– Displays high level ankle and knee flexion at times in pass protection when he keeps his pads down
Areas to improve:
– Mix of towering stature and high pad level cause him to lose the leverage battle consistently. Limits his ability to stymie bull rushes
– Has a tendency to bring his feet too close together on pass sets, causing him to have momentary lapses of balance
– Initial punch is often wide, and the lack of accuracy saps much of the power behind his punch
– Needs to work on getting depth more quickly on his pass sets. Can get beaten to the edge by quick pass rushers and tends to lunge when beaten
– Does not generate much vertical push in one-on-one run blocking situations due to minimal hip torque. Tries to get by with sheer arm strength
Injury concerns:
– (2017) Suffered and undisclosed season-ending injury in the fifth game of the season
Projection:
Brown is a high-end developmental right tackle prospect with an elite height/weight/speed combination that will particularly intrigue zone-heavy teams. He will likely be forced into a swing tackle role early in his career as he improves his pad level and punch accuracy. Brown reportedly has an extremely high work ethic, which tracks considering that he’s gained nearly 100 pounds of muscle since his 8-man football days. That work ethic coupled with his combination of strength and mobility will likely force him into the Day 2 draft range.
What to watch in 2020:
If the FCS does indeed hold a spring football season, Brown will look to work on his pad level, punch accuracy, and pass set tempo. If he is unable to play this year and chooses not to transfer, Brown’s draft status will be heavily influenced by his performance at the Senior Bowl and NFL Combine. If he is able to post an elite performance in either event, his combination of traits and work ethic will be tantalizing enough to force a team to pull a trigger by the end of Day 2.
- XTB’s Director of Scouting
- Bay Area-born sports lover who has worked in the football industry as a journalist, coach, film analyst, and scout.
- Currently a graduate student attending the UMass Sport Management program, and received his BA in journalism at Hofstra University.