Day 3 prospect: Spencer Brown, Offensive Tackle, Northern Iowa
Since his redshirt freshman season, Spencer Brown has been the starting right tackle for Northern Iowa. Playing 8-man football in Lenox, Iowa in high school as a tight end, he has put on the weight to play tackle at the college level sitting at 6’9″ and 321 pounds. In 2020, Brown was named to the 2020 Feldman’s Freak list for “his flexibility and speed” for his size and the ability to bench press 500 pounds and squat 600 pounds going below parallel. His massive muscular frame, while still lean, and narrow hips for his position is truly incredible.
Standing at 6’9″, Brown provides excellent length and knows how to use it to his advantage, keeping defenders off of his chest. Dog mentality displaying excellent finish playing through the whistle. Displays good lateral agility and mobility to work up to the second level. His impressive change of direction shows up in climbing to the second level in run blocking and adjusting to counters in pass protection.
Brown seems to be a highly intelligent tackle as he is consistently making calls at the line of scrimmage to communicate what he sees from the defense. Tends to know what the defender wants to counter with before they perform the move.
While he flashed some ankle and knee bend and flexibility, his massive height and high pad level bring inconsistency at the leverage battle. His punches can land wide often as well. Footwork is another area that will need improving before seeing starting time at the next level as he tends to play with too narrow of a base due to his narrow hips. Rushers that take advantage of his high pad level often find success on bull rushes to collapse the pocket. Play strength and power behind his punches need building upon.
At the next level, Spencer Brown looks to be another high-end development project. His height, weight, and mobility make him a great fit for zone schemes. Adding nearly 100 pounds of muscle to his frame since high school and making the transition from tight end to right tackle shows that he’s willing to put in the work to improve. However, his high pad level and inconsistencies in pass protection will likely earn him a selection early on Day 3.