Ole Miss receiver could fall to the Arizona Cardinals second round pick

The Arizona Cardinals should be beneficiaries of a stacked wide receiver class.

The Arizona Cardinals will enter the 2019 NFL Draft with a need at wide receiver that could easily be filled. While Steve Keim might way to the third to address the issue, he might have a dilemma on his hands as Ole Miss wide receiver A.J. Brown may slip to pick No. 33.

While most have Brown mocked to go in the first round, all bets are off in a class that features seven talented receivers (D.K. Metcalf, A.J. Brown, Kelvin Harmon, Deebo Samuel, N’Keal Harry, Hakeem Butler, Marquise Brown) that all may be first round picks but just one that’s a lock (D.K. Metcalf).

With the depth of the class, Brown, a player often mocked in the first could very well fall to the Arizona Cardinals’ lap at the top of the second round.

Due to tape that shows Brown working out of the slot more often than not, teams may be hesitant to spend a first round pick on the former Ole Miss Rebel. But, that shouldn’t scare the Cardinals, a team looking for a versatile receiver to insert into Kliff Kingsbury’s offense that’s everything but traditional.

At 6-foot, 226-pounds, Brown is far from your prototypical slot receiver. He compares favorably to Steelers’ star JuJu Smith-Schuster — a player that not only succeeded as a big slot receiver but also showed that he can play all over the field. I see the same in Brown.

Like Schuster, Brown is both effective in the slot or outside but is best when used as a mismatch-monster as a big slot receiver. His athleticism that showed out at the combine to the tune of a 4.49 second 40-yard-dash, a 36.5-inch vertical, and a 120-inch broad jump point to a versatile skill set in the NFL.

But, he’s more than an athletic mismatch slot receiver. Whether the route is short, long, horizontal, or vertical, Brown can will himself open with quick feet, ideal hip movement, and sharp breaks. He’s also not afraid to attack the middle of the field, has strong hands, and uses his large frame and running back-esque vision to churn through yards after the catch — in college, he had 1,425 yards after the catch, per Pro Football Focus.

Most of the time, receivers that test as well as Brown and have the production he had (188 catches, 2,972 yards, 19 touchdowns) don’t sniff the top of the second round. But that very well could happen in 2019 due to his lack of press coverage beating tape, history of playing in the slot, and subpar burst.

If he does fall to the second, you can bet the Arizona Cardinals will be interested in the slot receiver that has the potential to do much more in the NFL.

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