Two years ago, the Washington Football Team found a gem in the third round of the NFL Draft in wide receiver Terry McLaurin. In his first two seasons as a pro, McLaurin has quickly established himself as one of the NFL's better pass-catchers.
Now, two springs later, Washington has selected another talented wideout in the third round in North Carolina's Dyami Brown.
And, it just so happens that during the pre-draft process, Brown was often compared to McLaurin.
Shortly after Brown's name was called Friday night, NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah explained why he thinks the UNC star is similar to McLaurin coming out of college.
"The theme of speed continues today. You see the comparison there is Terry McLaurin," Jeremiah said. "He has vertical speed, he can track the ball very easy down the field."
At North Carolina, where Brown excelled the most was making plays down the field. In both 2019 and 2020, Brown averaged over 20 yards per reception for the Tar Heels. His big-play ability led to eye-popping numbers, as Brown left UNC as the only wideout in school history to have 50-plus catches and 1,000 or more yards in back-to-back seasons.
While McLaurin has proven himself as a multi-dimensional receiver in the NFL, the former Buckeye played a similar, down-the-field role at Ohio State that Brown did at UNC. As a senior in 2018, McLaurin averaged 20 yards per catch, totaling over 700 yards on just 35 catches.
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Where Jeremiah thinks Brown needs to improve most is in the intermediate game, the same area scouts had questions about McLaurin when he was coming out of school. But, as Jeremiah noted, McLaurin has more than figured out that aspect of his game at the professional level. In 2020, only five receivers had more yards after the catch than McLaurin.
"There were some issues working back downhill as a route runner. [Brown] needs to improve there," Jeremiah said. "But Terry McLaurin had some of those similar issues and he's more than figured it out there with the Washington Football Team."
Shortly after being drafted, Brown met with local media and was asked his thoughts about getting to play alongside McLaurin, a player he's often been compared to. The newest member of the Washington Football Team couldn't hold back his excitement.
"It's definitely a blessing. Getting to work with the guy I've been compared to, I can't wait to see what happens," Brown said.