2021 Draft Profile: Northern Iowa's Spencer Brown

Leading up to the 2021 NFL Draft starting on April 29th, we will be releasing several draft profiles of prospects who could potentially see themselves on the Pittsburgh Steelers. Next up…

Spencer Brown (Tackle), Northern Iowa, RS Senior

The Need: 

Offensive line is one of the biggest needs to address this offseason. Specifically, the Steelers need to add to the center and tackle positions in this year's draft. The Steelers' offense struggled to get the run game going in 2020 and one of the many contributing factors to that was the offensive line struggling to move people and open holes. The Steelers are in need of some nastiness on the offensive line and that's exactly what Spencer Brown could bring to the table at tackle. In my personal opinion, he is one of the most underrated offensive line prospects this draft cycle.

Brown measures in at 6’8.5”, 314 lbs. He is projected to be a 3rd-4th round pick when the draft gets under way next Thursday. ESPN currently has Brown listed as the 11th best tackle prospect and the 97th best overall prospect. I have a feeling he would be higher on draft prospect rankings if he played at a bigger named school against more NFL caliber competition.

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Pros:

• High motor player; blocks from snap to whistle each snap
• Nasty finisher; always looks to put defenders on their backs
• High football IQ; quick to recognize stunts and reacts to shut it down
• Strong hands; absolute mauler with his first punch
• Versatility; his size and length scream left tackle
• Strong upper body that allows him to control defenders with ease once his hands are on them
• Excellent pass set, solid fundamentally

Cons:

• Could struggle with speed rushers due to athletic limitations
• Hasn't faced the same level of competition that some of the other top 15 tackles have faced
• May need some time to get stronger in his base
• He may be solid fundamentally, but he struggles moving quickly laterally at times

Check out Brown’s career highlights at the University of Northern Iowa below:

What do you think of Northern Iowa’s Spencer Brown? Sound off in the comment section below, or on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

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