STRENGTHS
Brian is a long-legged, tall receiver with the straight-line speed to scare Defensive Coordinators on third and long downs. He has good strong hands to catch the ball and that helps him going up top to catch a pass in the red zone. Brian is a deep threat because, the longer the route, the more difficult it is to keep up with him because of his long strides. He shows the speed, hands, and concentration, to catch the deep ball. Brian’s long strides allow him to stabilize his body and head making it easier for him to focus on those difficult over-the-shoulder passes that other receivers struggle to catch consistently. Brian reminds me a lot of T J Houshmandzadeh who was a former number 2 standout receiver for the Bengals.
CONCERNS
Brian will struggle because of those long legs and a lack of quickness to run the entire route tree. His deep speed is outstanding but his deep route running is a bit lazy because of that speed. He also has to become more physical running his routes and prove he can catch contested passes. Right now, he outruns everyone he is up against and that will not happen at the next level.
BOTTOM LINE: 1.97
Football has come easy for Brian up until this point. You can see his game change when he is up against physical defensive backs even at the college level. Brian must prove he has the work ethic to become a better route runner. I’m not convinced he will ever be able to run the entire route tree but that doesn’t mean he won’t be an impact receiver, it just means he will struggle to become a number 1 receiver. If you select Brian and understand that he will not be the type of receiver who will get open on any down and distance then by all means go for it. Brian will be an excellent crossing pattern receiver and deep ball receiver and if you hit him in stride when he is running those routes, he has the potential to take the ball to the house. As I stated before, Brian can take the top off the defense, catch that fade pass in the end zone and if he is hit in stride score a touchdown from any place on the field. He can be a weapon if you call the right plays for him to shine.
