Packers: Why A.J. Brown would be a great addition in the draft
A.J. Brown would be a great selection for the Green Bay Packers at No. 30, or possibly 44.
I for one am ready to die on this hill with A.J. Brown as my favorite wide receiver in this draft for the Green and Gold.
Some are mesmerized by the Hulk like physique of Brown’s teammate, D.K. Metcalf, or the freakish game speed of Hollywood Brown, but for me, A.J. Brown is the WR I’d most want on this team.
Brown is built to take the hits of the NFL at around 225 pounds and has extremely quick feet for a WR that size.
Green Bay Packers GM Brian Gutekunst spoke about the body type needed to play in today’s slot game:
"“Obviously, inside there, you have to be able to hold up and take the pounding that comes with that job. So there’s probably a body type moving forward that’s able to separate and stay healthy,” Gutekunst said last week at the NFL Annual Meetings, according to Packers.com."
AJB seems to fit that mold. Brown also possesses a strong pair of hands and he turns into a running back once he has the ball.
According to The Draft Network’s Kyle Crabbs wrote about Brown’s YAC ability in his draft profile: Crabbs wrote: “Difficult to corral in a head up situation due to aggressive nature and size.”
Brown looks like an outfielder when he tracks the ball over his shoulder. Coincidentally, Brown was drafted in the 19th round of the MLB draft as an outfielder by the San Diego Padres.
He has the ability to play outside, but I think he’ll make his money as a silky smooth super slot and would be the perfect replacement for Randall Cobb.
Lance Zierlein of NFL.com compared Brown to Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, who is one of the NFL’s premier young slot wide receivers.
Gutekunst also noted at the owners meetings that “the slot receiver is maybe something that’s a little more prominent in his offense than what Mike’s was”. This leads me to believe the Packers will be looking for someone to play an important role in the offense out of the slot.
The Packers may very well be content with their trio of young WRs drafted last year, or the ascending Geronimo Allison, but if they decide to add another talented receiver to the room, I hope they choose A.J. Brown.
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He can be a possession-type WR, a chain-mover and a YAC master with the ability to get deep as well for this team. Brown could one day become Aaron Rodgers‘ new best friend.