Scouting Report: Charles Brown, OT, USC

Ht: 6'5 Wt: 292 40: 5.16

Strengths: Good height. He uses hands extremely well and has a good stance during pass blocking. Very impressive footwork. Great quickness and initial first step; shows great burst. Very athletic (former TE). Does a great job at finishing blocks. Good awareness/ instincts. He's more of a zone blocking lineman (very athletic, mobile and intelligent). Often shows ability to block in the second level. Shows great ability to pass protect from the left side. Looks very natural and has good fluid motion when pass protecting (bent knees, able to mirror the defender). Although pass protection is his biggest strength, he is an effective run blocker as well. Pretty consistent in both areas.

Weaknesses: A little too light, needs to gain some more weight without losing athleticism; especially before the combine. Could improve upper body strength. With his lack of upper body strength, I could see him struggling against bull-rushing competition in the NFL. Although shows good quickness when pulling, he needs to improve keeping up his speed to get out in front of the running back. Needs to stick on defenders when run blocking. Often lets defenders get underneath his pads. Although he has exceptional footwork, he needs to improve consistency.

Summary: Charles Brown is a tackle that played very well this past season for the Trojans. He shows great footwork and he uses his hands very well. I love his consistency he has shown this season. Brown is a very well-rounded LT prospect. However, his main setback is his weight. He needs to reach the 300 lbs mark before the combine and senior bowl. If he can do that, he will most likely be a 1st round pick. He also needs to improve his upper body strength in order to defend against bull-rushing defenders. If he can improve his weight and strength without losing his athleticism he will be a great LT in the NFL for many seasons.

Draft Projection: 1st Round