:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/59521267/849465022.jpg.0.jpg)
A kicker from Nebraska named Brown is nothing new, as Drew Brown’s older brother is former NFL and Nebraska kicker Kris Brown who had a 12 year NFL career with the Steelers, Texans and Chargers. Unfortunately for the younger Brown, he’s got subpar kicking leg strength and a long-tenured NFL career doesn’t seem to be in his future.
One thing to keep in mind is that the Cornhuskers only asked him to attempt eight kicks of 40 or more yards over the past two seasons, which is ridiculously low total for having played in 25 games over that span. By comparison Auburn kicker Daniel Carson attempted 30 in that range over the past two seasons, Florida kicker Eddy Piniero attempted 20, Miami kicker Michael Badgley attempted 19, and Kansas State kicker Matthew McCrane attempted 15 (and was even hurt in one of those seasons, missing time). It’s not a positive sign when your own team doesn’t trust your leg strength. But I digress. Onto the numbers.
Drew Brown
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 210 pounds
Position: Kicker
College: Nebraska
Projected Round: UDFA
Drew Brown stats
| Year | Player | GP | 0-30 FGM | 0-30 FGA | 0-39% | 40-49 FGM | 40-49 FGA | 40-49% | 50+ FGM | 50+ FGA | 50+% | Lng | FGM | FGA | FG% | XP | XPA | XP% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Player | GP | 0-30 FGM | 0-30 FGA | 0-39% | 40-49 FGM | 40-49 FGA | 40-49% | 50+ FGM | 50+ FGA | 50+% | Lng | FGM | FGA | FG% | XP | XPA | XP% |
| 2014 | Drew Brown | 13 | 12 | 14 | 86% | 2 | 6 | 33% | 0 | 1 | 0% | 44 | 14 | 21 | 67% | 59 | 59 | 100% |
| 2015 | Drew Brown | 13 | 8 | 10 | 80% | 12 | 14 | 86% | 1 | 3 | 33% | 50 | 21 | 27 | 78% | 44 | 46 | 96% |
| 2016 | Drew Brown | 13 | 8 | 8 | 100% | 3 | 4 | 75% | 1 | 2 | 50% | 51 | 12 | 14 | 86% | 38 | 38 | 100% |
| 2017 | Drew Brown | 12 | 10 | 12 | 83% | 2 | 2 | 100% | 0 | 0 | - | 44 | 12 | 14 | 86% | 37 | 37 | 100% |
| Average | Drew Brown | 51 | 38 | 44 | 86% | 19 | 26 | 73% | 2 | 6 | 33% | 59 | 76 | 78% | 178 | 180 | 99% |
Important Notes:
- Younger brother of former NFL kicker Kris Brown
Scouting Report Consensus - What to like:
- Good, consistent kicking mechanics
- Kicks the ball high, avoiding blocked kicks
- Dependable tackler on kickoff coverage, making good form tackles
- Was perfect on extra points outside of his sophomore season
Scouting Report Consensus - What to not like:
- Only made 2 of 6 kicks from 50+ yards in his four years as a starting kicker, and his career long is only 51 yards
- Only 42% of his kickoffs went for touchbacks
Conclusion:
Ultimately, Brown just isn’t a great NFL prospect. His best attribute is the ability to make tackles as a defender on kickoffs. That’s important for a special teams player, but for a kicker you really want more – such as the ability to make kicks at a higher rate than he displayed in four seasons at Nebraska.
One could commend him for his consistency, but unfortunately, he was consistently subpar. His accuracy on kicks inside of 40 yards was about the worst of all kickers who hope to get signed after the draft. His accuracy beyond 50 yards was also among the worst among draft-eligible kickers. His touchback rate was also quite low, only forcing touchbacks on 42% of his kickoffs.
His last name will likely get him a camp invitation to be a camp body, allowing a team to rest their starting kicker. Has an outside chance to attempt kicks in an NFL game if a rash of injuries afflict NFL kickers this year, dropping them like flies.