INDIANAPOLIS -- Former Kansas State linebacker Arthur Brown said that he has the ability to play all three linebacker positions in a 4-3 defense in the NFL when he addressed the media late in the afternoon on Saturday at Lucas Oil Stadium for the 2013 NFL Combine.
2013 NFL Combine: Arthur Brown says he can play any linebacker position
While addressing the media at the 2013 NFL Combine in Indianapolis, Kansas State linebacker Arthur Brown said that he has the ability to play any linebacker position.
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
“I’m projected to be a MIKE, WILL or SAM depending on the team,” Brown said. “There’s no limit. I’m a versatile linebacker and I’m definitely able to float the bill.”
Brown said that he did play middle linebacker the majority of the time that he played in the 4-3 defense at Kansas State. While with the Wildcats, Brown said head coach Bill Snyder was a great help to get him to the point where he is today and has helped prepare him for the next level of football.
“I feel well prepared,” he said. “Coach Snyder is definitely someone who is going to get the most out of you. He’s definitely done that with me and having the opportunity to follow in his footsteps and just to be an observer of him and his operation has helped me out.”
Brown is considered one of the top linebacker prospects in this year’s draft class and is likely going to be taken off the board in the first round. He said what makes him stand out from some of the other linebackers in the 2013 draft class is the fact that he’s everywhere he needs to be on a field, which is his goal on every play.
“My goal is to be who I need to be as a linebacker,” he said. “Relentless pursuit is a key element to my game, and any defensive player’s game. That’s something that I definitely strive to always consistently do is pursuing to the ball aggressively downhill. I’m always confident in my ability in open space to get a job done.”
While he said he’s not as familiar with the 3-4 defense, which has been adopted by several NFL team, he said he’s confident that he can play in any defense. Much of his confidence comes from staying at Kansas State for another season where he was able to “elevate and improve” his game.
Brown has put on quite a bit of weight since the end of the college season. His playing weight, he said, was 227 pounds and he weighed in at 241 pounds. He said that the weight he put on hasn’t slowed him down and he feels comfortable playing at a heavier weight as long as it doesn’t compromise his speed.
Brown also said that he sees himself as a physical linebacker.
“Toughness, physically and mentally, is definitely a key element to any linebacker,” he said. “Any linebacker will tell you I’m tough. You have to be to play that position. That’s definitely something I take pride in as a defensive player.”
When Brown is drafted, he will be in the league with his younger brother, who entered the NFL a year before him. Bryce Brown, a former Kansas State running back, was a seventh-round pick by the Eagles in the 2012 draft and played a handful of games late in the season, scoring four touchdowns, after LeSean McCoy was injured.
Arthur Brown said that it was a little weird to watch his younger brother go through the draft process first, but that he has been able to learn some things, especially about the business aspect of professional football.
“Being able to watch Bryce and watch his mentality and approach to not just the game, but the business side of the game has definitely been eye opening,” he said. “It really has helped me out, his process, leading up to the combine and the NFL draft. He said it is a business so you have to approach it in that manner.”
There are several teams that need to address the linebacker position in the upcoming draft. While at the combine, Rams head coach Jeff Fisher said that the draft lacks depth at the linebacker position due to the nature of defending college offenses. Brown, along with a few others, seem to be an exception as he claims he has the ability to succeed at any linebacker position at the next level. If Brown continues on the same road he's on right now, he'll likely be an early draft pick and a starter on an NFL team's defense when the 2013 season rolls around.
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