D.K. Metcalf may have made the biggest noise at the 2019 NFL Scouting Combine among all of the University of Mississippi players, but he has another teammate worth knowing about. While Metcalf was posting an incredible 4.33-second 40-yard dash at 6-foot-3 and 228 pounds — along with impressively poor agility scores — fellow wideout A.J. Brown was quietly posting a solid workout of his own.
Brown, who measures in at 6 feet 1⁄2 inch and 226 pounds posted a solid 40 time of his own, running in 4.49 seconds, while his 36-inch vertical and 10-foot broad jumps represent good numbers as well. However, it is his 6.89-second time in the 3-cone drill at Ole Miss’ Pro Day on Friday that looks particularly impressive. That’s a better number than the results posted in Indianapolis by smaller, seemingly shiftier receivers like Andy Isabella and Terry McLaurin.
Currently, most projections have Brown as a borderline first-round pick, which could put him in play when the Green Bay Packers are on the board at #30 or #44 overall. As such, the team is reportedly doing their homework on the two-time 1,000-yard receiver; NFL Network’s James Palmer reports that he has a pre-draft visit lined up in Green Bay in the coming days.
A young player, who turns 22 in June, Brown was the Rebels’ leading receiver in each of the past two seasons — beating out Metcalf, who is projected to be an earlier draft pick. In fact, Brown nearly doubled Metcalf’s production in 2017 and 2018:
- Brown, 2017: 75 receptions, 1,252 yards (16.7 YPR), 11 TDs
- Metcalf, 2017: 39 receptions, 646 yards (16.6 YPR), 7 TDs
- Brown, 2018: 85 receptions, 1,320 yards (15.5 YPR), 6 TDs
- Metcalf, 2018: 26 receptions, 569 yards (21.9 YPR), 5 TDs
One notable issue here, however, is that Metcalf played in just seven games in 2018 after dealing with injuries.
Still, for what the Packers tend to like in their receivers — good change-of-direction ability — Brown would seem to be a better fit. Metcalf’s 3-cone times (7.38 seconds at the Combine, 7.25 at Pro Day) likely rule him off the Packers’ board entirely. Meanwhile, Brown’s production and combination of athletic traits make him an interesting possibility for the Packers late on day one or early on day two of the 2019 NFL Draft.