Deonte

Brown

Brown (6'4/350) put up some impressive numbers in the measurements portion of Senior Bowl week according to Hodgkinson, but that isn’t where a player’s bread is buttered. “He was beaten several times during practice and the game,” Hodgkinson wrote. “Brown also showed little athletic ability, especially when attempting to get out to the next level. If he is to be successful in the NFL, Brown will likely have to trim down.” The former Alabama standout’s draft prospects were a bit varied heading into the week, with some analysts locking him in as a possible second-round pick while others believed that he was a Day 3 target. Given Brown’s struggles in Mobile, the latter projection feels more realistic right now.

Brown (6'4/350) has appeared in a total of 44 games during his Alabama career, with half of those appearances being starts. The redshirt senior was named a preseason first team All-American by ESPN.com, and The Sporting News gave Brown second team honors. Despite being considered among the top interior linemen in college football, Brown’s draft prospects are a bit mixed. While some analysts project him to be a possible second-round selection, there are others who have Brown locked in as a Day 3 prospect. Senior Bowl week should help clear some things up when it comes to Brown’s NFL future.

As a result of Brown’s suspension hitting late last season, four of the six games he was suspended for rolled over into the early part of 2019. Alabama’s offensive line has shuffled around a handful of times in Brown’s absence, but freshman Evan Neal has primarily played in place of Brown. Though Brown (6'3/338) was the starter last season prior to the suspension, HC Nick Saban mentioned on Monday that “nobody is entitled to play” and stressed that Brown still has to do “all the right things” to earn his job back. AL.com’s Mike Rodak writes that Brown has been working with the second-team offensive line in Wednesday’s practice.

Brown (6'4/344) was initially suspended late last year for a violation of NCAA rules, but the suspension extended into the first half of 2019. He will not return until Sept. 28 when Alabama take on Ole Miss. Until then, Suttles writes that Alabama will continue to experiment up front and try out a handful of different looks. Suttles mentions freshman C Darrian Dalcourt as an early standout, but that won’t quite solve the guard issue until Brown gets back into action. Expect to see a better Crimson Tide OL come late September, early October.

The same goes for Elliott Baker and Kedrick James, but it’s still unknown what violation was broken. Nick Saban did clarify that it was a violation of NCAA rules, not Saban’s team rules. Of the three players, Brown (6'4/344) is the biggest loss, as he is a rotational offensive guard. With him out, Alabama will need Lester Cotton to play more snaps.

Brown (6'4/344) will be joined by Elliott Baker and Kedrick James as players who violated team rules, but the other two aren’t starters. Losing Brown is an issue, however, as he is a starting guard. The Crimson Tide will plug in Lester Cotton against the Sooners. It’s unknown if Brown would play in the Championship Game if Alabama advances.

“He’s practicing,” Alabama HC Nick Saban said of Brown following Monday’s practice. “He’s doing well. He’s probably not 100 percent yet, but he’s making good progress and we’re encouraged by it.” Brown (6'4/344) was in-and-out of the Alabama lineup for the SEC Championship Game as Potter notes, and there’s a good chance he’ll be rotating with Lester Cotton at left guard against Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl, as well.

Brown (6'4/344) did not play against The Citadel last Saturday, as he has been dealing with a case of turf toe. The redshirt sophomore was able to practice this week, though, and looks to be good to go for the Iron Bowl.

Brown (6'4/344) sat out against The Citadel on Saturday due to a case of turf toe. The redshirt sophomore was back practicing with the second-team offensive linemen on Tuesday. He looks to have a decent chance for availability in the Iron Bowl.

Brown checks in on the ESPN 300 at No. 126, one spot below fellow Bama signee ATH Trevon Diggs. For his part, the 6-foot-3, 340-pound Brown drew interest from Louisville, Mississippi State and Boston College (among others) at various points in the early process, but this was never in doubt. ESPN calls him a “prospect with the tools to be a very good college OG. He brings size, strength and toughness.” On the more critical side, they believe Brown "[n]eeds to continue to develop and be sounder and more consistent with technique.” He’s already got the right measurements, at least.