Jatavis Brown

Last updated

Jatavis Brown
No. 57, 53
Position: Linebacker
Personal information
Born: (1994-02-18) February 18, 1994 (age 30)
Belle Glade, Florida, U.S.
Height:5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight:221 lb (100 kg)
Career information
High school: Glades Central
(Belle Glade, Florida)
College: Akron (2012–2015)
NFL draft: 2016  / Round: 5 / Pick: 175
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Total tackles:262
Sacks:4.5
Forced fumbles:3
Fumble recoveries:2
Pass deflections:12
Player stats at PFR

Jatavis Brown (born February 18, 1994) is a former American football linebacker. He attended Glades Central High School in Belle Glade, Florida and played college football at Akron. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL draft. [1]

Contents

College career

Brown was a standout linebacker at Akron, being named to All-Mid-American Conference (MAC) First-team three years in a row. He received the MAC Defensive Player of the Year honor in his senior season after recording a team-high 11.5 sacks, 19.5 tackles for loss, and 116 total tackles. [2]

Statistics

Defense
YearTeamGPTakFor lossSacksINTFFPDefTDs
2012 Akron -230.50.00100
2013 Akron 111076.51.00220
2014 Akron 119414.04.00300
2015 Akron 1311619.511.51410
Totals3534040.516.511030

Professional career

Pre-draft

On January 21, 2016, it was announced that Brown was selected to play in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl. [3] On January 23, 2016, Brown played in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl and had an impressive performance as part of Mike Holmgren's National team that defeated the American team 18–17. [4] Brown was instrumental in the victory and was a candidate for NFLPA Collegiate Bowl MVP. [5] Although his performance in the collegiate bowl potentially raised his draft stock, Brown was still unable to attain an invitation to the NFL Scouting Combine and was not one of 322 college prospects invited. It was speculated by media members that he was snubbed due to his small stature for the linebacker position, although two linebackers who were invited also measured in at 5'11" and the shortest was Utah's Gionni Paul at 5'10". [6] [7] On February 14, 2016, Brown attended the NFL's first Regional Scouting Combine in Houston, Texas. He performed combine drills for scouts and impressed them by running a 4.47s in the 40-yard dash. [8]

On March 18, 2016, Brown attended Akron's pro day, and decided to run all of the combine drills again for team representatives and scouts. He beat his time in the Regional Combine in the 40-yard dash, finishing with 4.44s, to and had 33 reps in the bench press, which would've finished first among all linebackers at the NFL Scouting Combine. [9] 30 team representatives from 22 NFL teams attended to scout Brown as the featured prospect. [10] Brown also attended private workouts and visits with ten NFL teams, including the Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, San Diego Chargers, Tennessee Titans, Kansas City Chiefs, Indianapolis Colts, New York Giants, and Los Angeles Rams. [11] [12] At the conclusion of the pre-draft process, Brown was projected to be a third or fourth round pick by NFL draft experts and scouts. He was ranked as the ninth best linebacker prospect in the draft by NFL analyst Mike Mayock, was ranked the 13th best outside linebacker in the draft by NFLDraftScout.com, and was ranked the 13th best linebacker in the draft by Pro Football Focus. [13] [14] [15]

Pre-draft measurables
HeightWeight 40-yard dash 10-yard split20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
5 ft 11 in
(1.80 m)		227 lb
(103 kg)		4.44 s1.53 s2.60 s4.31 s7.19 s35 in
(0.89 m)		10 ft 5 in
(3.18 m)		33 reps
All values from Akron's Pro Day [16]

San Diego / Los Angeles Chargers

2016

The Chargers selected Brown in the fifth round (175th overall) of the 2016 NFL draft. [17] He was the 22nd linebacker drafted and the second linebacker drafted by the Chargers in 2016 after they selected Ohio State's Joshua Perry in the fourth round. [18] Brown was the first linebacker drafted from Akron in school history and was the first player drafted from Akron since Reggie Corner in 2008. He also became only the 15th player drafted from Akron since the inception of the NFL draft in 1936. [19] On May 5, 2016, the Chargers signed Brown to a four-year, $2.52 million contract that included a signing bonus of $184,385. [20]

Throughout training camp, Brown competed for a job as a backup inside linebacker against Nick Dzubnar, Perry, and James Ross. [21] [22] Brown fell behind in the competition and had his progress stunted after he sustained an ankle injury that sidelined him for the Chargers' first three preseason games. [23] Head coach Mike McCoy named Brown the backup inside linebacker behind Denzel Perryman and Manti Te'o to begin the regular season. [24]

He made his professional regular-season debut in the Chargers' season-opener at the Chiefs and recorded three combined tackles and a pass deflection during a 33–27 loss. He played 27% of the Chargers' defensive snaps in his debut. On September 25, 2016, Brown collected six combined tackles, two pass breakups, and made his first career sack on Colts quarterback Andrew Luck during the Chargers' 26–22 victory. [25] On October 2, 2016, Brown earned his first career start after Manti Te'o suffered a torn Achilles tendon during the Chargers' win in Indianapolis. [26] He recorded a total of seven solo tackles as the Chargers were defeated 35–34 by the New Orleans Saints. In Week 6, he collected a season-high 14 combined tackles (13 solo), forced a fumble, and made his third career sack in the Chargers' 21–13 win against the Denver Broncos. In Week 8, Brown made ten combined tackles and defended a pass during the Chargers' 27–19 loss at the Denver Broncos, but left the game in the fourth quarter after suffering a knee injury when a Broncos' offensive lineman slammed into his leg. He was expected to miss two games, but ended up being sidelined for four consecutive games (Weeks 9–13). [27] On December 24, 2016, he made ten combined tackles and also recorded a sack on Robert Griffin III with teammate Kyle Emanuel as the Chargers lost at the Browns 20–17. [28] He finished his rookie season in 2016 with in 12 games with 79 combined tackles (64 solo), 3.5 sacks, six passes defensed, and two forced fumbles in 12 games and seven starts. He finished first on the team with 79 combined tackles in 2016. [29] On January 1, 2017, the Chargers fired McCoy after four seasons. [30] Pro Football Focus gave Brown an overall grade of 80.8 and was the second highest rated linebacker of any rookies, behind only Atlanta Falcons linebacker Deion Jones (83.0). [31]

2017

During the offseason, the Chargers officially relocated to Los Angeles and were renamed the Los Angeles Chargers. Throughout training camp, new defensive coordinator Gus Bradley held an open competition after opting to switch the Chargers' defense to a base a 4–3 defense and a Cover 3 scheme. [32] Brown competed against Korey Toomer and Emanuel for the job as the starting weakside linebacker. [33] [34] Head coach Anthony Lynn named Brown the starting weakside linebacker and Korey Toomer the starting middle linebacker after Perryman tore an ankle ligament in the Chargers' first preseason game. [35]

He started the Chargers' season-opener at the Broncos and recorded a season-high 14 combined tackles during a 24–21 loss. In Week 4, he suffered a high ankle sprain during a 26–24 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, but managed to play in 68 of the 75 defensive snaps. [36] In Week 6, Brown was replaced as the starter by Korey Toomer, while Hayes Pullard was named the starting middle linebacker. Many analysts were confused by the demotion and speculated that Brown was still feeling the effects of his high ankle sprain as that was seen as the only logical conclusion of his demotion. [37] Hayes Pullard and Korey Toomer had an advantage over the other linebackers as they both previously played under first year defensive coordinator Gus Bradley in Jacksonville Jaguars and Seattle Seahawks and also had an established relationship with him. [38] Brown saw his defensive snap count decrease dramatically after Perryman returned and Week 10 and was moved to starting weakside linebacker. Brown was relegated to special teams and a reserve role on defense, playing dime linebacker in certain situations that needed a linebacker cover a tight end or running back. [39] With his reduced role, Brown did not record a stat in Weeks 13–14. In Week 15, he recorded eight combined tackles during a 30–13 loss at the Chiefs.

Brown finished the 2017 regular season with a total of 79 combined tackles (54 solo) and a pass deflection in 16 games and five starts. [40] From Week 5–17, Brown averaged just 20 snaps on defense a week. He was also replaced as the dime linebacker, as defensive coordinator Gus Bradley opted to go with safety Adrian Phillips when the offense had three or more wide receivers on the field, which was 64% of the time. [41] The Chargers' defense strived under Gus Bradley, finishing sixth in yards per play (5.1). Brown was given an overall grade of 70.8 by Pro Football Focus and ranked 46th among all linebackers in overall grade among linebackers in 2017. [42]

2018

Brown entered the 2018 season as a starting outside linebacker alongside Emanuel and Perryman. He played in 15 games with 10 starts, finishing second on the team with 97 combined tackles, along with one sack, five passes defended, and a forced fumble. He suffered an ankle injury in Week 17, missed the Chargers wild-card win over the Baltimore Ravens, and was placed on injured reserve on January 7, 2019. [43]

Philadelphia Eagles

On March 27, 2020, Brown signed a one-year contract with the Philadelphia Eagles. [44] On August 9, 2020, Brown announced his retirement from the NFL. [45]

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References

  1. ↑ Krasovic, Tom (April 30, 2016). "Chargers take speedy Akron linebacker". SanDiegoUnionTribune.com. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
  2. ↑ "Jatavis Brown College Stats, School, Draft, Gamelog, Splits". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  3. ↑ "Brown to Participate in NFLPA Collegiate Bowl". GoZips.com. January 21, 2016. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  4. ↑ Jordan Plocher (January 25, 2016). "Grades for the 2016 NFLPA Collegiate Bowl". profootballfocus.com.
  5. ↑ Alex Alvarado (January 23, 2016). "NFLPA Collegiate Bowl Notes: Jatavis Brown lays the lumber, Greene the steady running back". hustlebelt.com. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  6. ↑ James Brady (February 28, 2016). "NFL Combine results 2016: Darron Lee impresses across all linebacker drills". sbnation.com. Retrieved February 17, 2018.
  7. ↑ "2016 NFL Combine: The Snubs That Didn't Make The Invite List". turfshowtimes.com. February 17, 2016. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  8. ↑ "Jatavis Brown, Trent Corney highlight regional combine". NFL.com. February 14, 2016. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  9. ↑ "ZipsNation.com: 2016 Akron Pro Day". zipsnation.com. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  10. ↑ Alex Chassen (April 6, 2016). "2016 NFL Draft: College pro day schedule and results". sbnation.com. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  11. ↑ Popejoy, Curt (April 8, 2016). "2016 NFL draft: Jatavis Brown scouting report". steelerswire.usatoday.com. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  12. ↑ Terry Lambert (April 4, 2016). "2016 NFL Draft: Tennessee Titans Draft Connections Tracker". musiccitymiracles.com. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  13. ↑ "Jatavis Brown, DS #13 OLB, Akron". nfldraftscout.com. Retrieved February 17, 2018.
  14. ↑ Mike Mayock (April 25, 2016). "Mayock's top 100 draft prospect rankings". NFL.com. Archived from the original on April 28, 2017. Retrieved February 17, 2018.
  15. ↑ PFF analysis team (August 26, 2016). "Final 2016 PFF Draft Board: Top 250 NFL prospects".
  16. ↑ "NFL Player Profile: Jatavis Brown". NFL.com. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  17. ↑ "2016 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
  18. ↑ Henne, Ricky (April 30, 2016). "Bolts Draft MAC Defensive Player of the Year Jatavis Brown". Chargers.com. Retrieved May 29, 2017.
  19. ↑ "Football Database: Akron NFL Draft History". footballdb.com. Retrieved February 17, 2018.
  20. ↑ "Spotrac.com: Jatavis Brown contract". Spotrac.com. Retrieved February 17, 2018.
  21. ↑ Tom Karasovic (July 20, 2016). "Chargers training camp preview: ILB". sandiegouniontribune.com. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  22. ↑ Joseph Zucker (September 3, 2016). "Denzel Perryman to Be Placed on IR with Ankle Injury, Expected to Return". BleacherReport.com. Retrieved February 17, 2018.
  23. ↑ Michael Gelhkin (September 17, 2016). "Jatavis Brown chasing a dream".
  24. ↑ Marcel Forster (September 2, 2016). "2016 Chargers: A Post-Preseason 53-Man Roster Projection". eastvillagetimes.com. Retrieved February 17, 2018.
  25. ↑ "NFL Game Center: Week 3-2016: San Diego Chargers @ Indianapolis Colts". NFL.com. Retrieved February 17, 2018.
  26. ↑ Matt Bonesteel (March 21, 2017). "Manti Te'o to get restart in New Orleans after injury-riddled career". washingtonpost.com. Archived from the original on March 21, 2017. Retrieved February 17, 2018.
  27. ↑ Michael Gelhkin (October 31, 2016). "Chargers' Jatavis Brown may miss week or two". sandiegouniontribune.com. Retrieved February 17, 2018.
  28. ↑ "NFL Game Center: Week 16-2016: San Diego Chargers @ Cleveland Browns". NFL.com. Retrieved February 17, 2018.
  29. ↑ "NFL Player stats: Jatavis Brown (2016)". NFL.com. Retrieved February 17, 2018.
  30. ↑ Marc Sessler (January 1, 2017). "Chargers fire Mike McCoy after four seasons at helm". NFL.com. Retrieved February 17, 2018.
  31. ↑ Hayley Elwood (February 17, 2017). "Bolts Buzz: Jatavis Brown is PFF's Second-Best Rookie LB". Chargers.com. Retrieved February 17, 2018.
  32. ↑ Troy Rose (March 15, 2017). "Switching to a 4-3 Defense: What it means for the Chargers". boltbeat.com. Retrieved February 17, 2018.
  33. ↑ Anthony Totri (June 21, 2017). "Why Jatavis Brown will be this season's Tyrell Williams?". boltbeat.com. Retrieved February 17, 2018.
  34. ↑ Rotowire staff (August 21, 2017). "Chargers' Korey Toomer: Making strong case for starting role". CBSSports.com. Retrieved February 17, 2018.
  35. ↑ Timothy Rapp (August 15, 2017). "Chargers LB Denzel Perryman to Undergo Ankle Surgery; out at Least 2 Months". bleacherreport.com. Retrieved February 17, 2018.
  36. ↑ Eric Williams (October 3, 2017). "Chargers must improve run defense with leading tackler Jatavis Brown injured". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 17, 2018.
  37. ↑ Rotowire (October 16, 2017). "Chargers' Jatavis Brown: Just three tackles in win". cbssports.com. Retrieved February 17, 2018.
  38. ↑ Mike DiGiovionna (October 15, 2017). "Chargers sign LB, will welcome Perryman back to practice". sandiegouniontribune.com. Retrieved February 17, 2018.
  39. ↑ Jamie Hoyle (November 10, 2017). "Hayes Pullard: What the Hell Are the Chargers Thinking?". Boltsfromtheblue.com. Retrieved February 17, 2018.
  40. ↑ "NFL Player stats: Jatavis Brown (2017)". NFL.com. Retrieved February 17, 2018.
  41. ↑ Eric Williams (December 9, 2017). "Why is Jatavis Brown playing a reduced role on the Chargers defense?". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 17, 2018.
  42. ↑ "Pro Football Focus: Jatavis Brown". profootballfocus.com. Retrieved February 17, 2018.
  43. ↑ Henne, Ricky (January 7, 2019). "Hunter Henry Added to the Active Roster". Chargers.com.
  44. ↑ "More for defense: Eagles agree to terms with LB Jatavis Brown". PhiladelphiaEagles.com. March 21, 2020.
  45. ↑ McManus, Tim (August 9, 2020). "Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Jatavis Brown retires at 26". ESPN.com.
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