Baltimore Ravens 2013 Draft Class – Arthur Brown
Having written a summary article on the Baltimore Ravens draft class of 2013, this is the second of round-by-round individual looks at each of the players after a season with the team. The first article in this series was on first-round pick Matt Elam.
Arthur Brown was the Ravens’ second round pick in 2013 – the 56th overall selection – out of Kansas State. After two very unhappy years at Miami, Brown transferred to Kansas State, where he was an All-American and the Big 12 defensive player of the year in 2012.
The Ravens traded up in the second round last year to be able to get Brown. He is seen as an eventual four-down defensive player but this past season saw action almost exclusively in passing-down situations. In the nickel package, Brown played next to middle linebacker Daryl Smith. Here Brown was able to use his speed and athleticism on coverage – running capably with backs and tight ends.
He recorded 15 tackles while playing in 22% of total defensive plays. He was slowed by an offseason sports hernia surgery, and this seemed to delay his training camp ability and capacity to learn the Ravens’ defensive scheme. The starting position instead went to Josh Bynes.
But this limited level of play is not going to be the way it is in the near future, as Brown will be a probable starter this coming season at weak-side linebacker.
The Ravens have been bringing Brown along slowly in the complicated growth process of understanding the complexities of playing in the NFL. The Ravens have played with a 3-4 defense, whereas Kansas State employed a 4-3. “There was so much coming into this team from college that I did not know when it came to the defense. It was a whole new system that I had to learn, and I really had to take it all in,” said Brown in a recent article by Matt Zenitz of the Carroll County Times.
Brown was regularly applauded by Harbaugh and the coaching staff for his excellent work ethic – being one of the last to leave training every day. He spent plenty of time in the weight room and in watching films, looking to daily improve his knowledge and value for the team … along with being ready weekly in the event that an injury threw him onto the field for every down.
Ravens fans are going to see a lot of football from Arthur Brown in the coming years.