Safety Ji’Ayir Brown loves rushing the passer, can play single high safety too

Part of the fun of the NFL combine is to hear players talk at the podiums. Depending on the quality of questions asked, players get a chance to open up about a variety of things including but not limited to football.

As the Cleveland Browns look to potentially replace John Johnson III through the draft, a player like Penn State’s Ji’Ayir Brown could be an interesting option.

The 23-year-old Brown has a wide range of opinions about his game after three years with the Nittany Lions. Brown had 10 interceptions in his last two seasons, nine passes defended, three fumble recoveries and three forced fumbles in his three seasons in the Big 10.

Perhaps the most shocking thing is that Brown’s senior season in 2022 included 4.5 sacks and seven tackles for loss. The safety joked that he studied Buffalo Bills star Von Miller’s highlights. It is clear from his response how much he enjoyed making plays behind the line of scrimmage:

As noted, Brown’s NFL draft stock is all over the place. He was asked about being called the best safety this year but wasn’t worried about opinions:

The Draft Network currently has a fourth-round projection on Brown while his mock draft average topped out in the third round.

With Ronnie Harrison set for free agency and JJ3 out the door, Cleveland could use a versatile player who isn’t afraid to get involved in the run game. Brown has some ability to play in the slot as well. Browns fans might love to root for “Tig” bouncing around the defensive backfield:

We will have more videos from safety prospects early this afternoon after interview time with the cornerbacks where I will focus on slot corner options that would give Jim Schwartz some more flexibility.