NFL.com: Arizona Cardinals wide receiver John Brown primed to ‘make the leap’
Jul 10, 2015, 5:19 PM | Updated: 5:48 pm
Starting from humble beginnings as a third-round draft pick from Pittsburg State in 2014, Arizona Cardinals wide receiver John Brown has made the most of his short time in the league, stepping into the spotlight and announcing himself in emphatic fashion following a rookie campaign that saw Brown catch 48 passes for 696 yards and five touchdowns.
Blessed with breathtaking 4.34 speed and a penchant for making big plays, Brown is expected to assume an even greater role within the Cardinals offense in 2015. Not only is Brown a year older and presumably a year wiser, but he’ll enter the season with the comfort of knowing quarterback Carson Palmer is healthy after suffering a torn ACL midway through last season.
But it’s not just Cardinals fans and the local media who have taken notice of Brown’s emergence as a primary weapon for head coach Bruce Arians’ offense.
On Friday, NFL.com writer Chris Wesseling ranked Brown sixth in his list of players he believes will “make the leap” from relative obscurity to household name-type status.
Says Wesserling of Brown:
It’s rare to come across an offseason hype bunny who meets expectations as a rookie. It’s even more rare to find an NFL draft sleeper in the height of the Twitter era. A hidden gem from small-school Pittsburg State, the third-round pick immediately impressed the Cardinals with his high-end speed, uncanny instincts and unexpected understanding of route concepts.
Before the end of his first training camp, Brown was already drawing comparisons to potential Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison, Colts star T.Y. Hilton and 2003 rookie sensation Anquan Boldin.
Once the season began, coach Bruce Arians featured Brown on the routes run by Hilton, Antonio Brown and Mike Wallace in his old Colts and Steelers offenses, aligning him all over the formation. At 5-foot-11 with 4.34 wheels, his deep speed and uncommon stop-start quickness hardly came as a surprise. What stood out on Game Rewind was Brown’s impressive leaping ability, great ball skills, sideline artistry and sure hands.
However, Wesserling also noted there’s one big thing Brown could improve upon to make himself even more well-rounded as a receiver.
Already a dangerous deep threat and underrated possession receiver, Brown still has one area in need of improvement. Although much of his late-season disappearance can be attributed to Lindley’s faceplant, Arians noted that the 179-pound Brown must get stronger to withstand press coverage and the rigors of a long season.
Despite his shortcomings in terms of physical build, Wesserling fully expects Brown to develop into a potential 1,000-yard receiving candidate alongside veterans Larry Fitzgerald and Michael Floyd.
Arizona’s offense has a chance to emerge as one of the league’s best in 2015. Arians is a mastermind, the offensive line has graduated from an area of weakness to one of strength, Palmer has surpassed expectations in his return from ACL surgery, and the wide receiver trio of Brown, Fitzgerald and Floyd is versatile and productive.
Brown is a more uniquely talented receiver than Floyd. It wouldn’t surprise us if the former is thrust into a more prominent role at the expense of the latter, with the Cardinals ultimately allowing Floyd to walk as a free agent.
