2019 NFL Mock Draft: Josh Allen rises in full 2-round mock
By Randy Gurzi
22. Baltimore Ravens: A.J. Brown, WR, Ole Miss
They turned the page this season as Lamar Jackson became their new quarterback — spelling the end of the Joe Flacco era. With Jackson now leading the franchise, they need to start adding talent around him to make him successful.
For years, they’ve needed wideout help and they did well with free agency this past season but need to keep bringing in talented youth. They end up taking A.J. Brown, who at one point looked like the top receiver in the draft, He slides some as there are questions about his ceiling, as summed up by The Draft Network.
"“The big question for Brown is, how dynamic can he be at the next level? He’s not particularly athletic or fast, and his experience lies heavily in the slot where he gets a lot of clean releases. Will an NFL team see him as a JuJu Smith-Schuster type of big slot? Brown’s ball skills aren’t anywhere near Smith-Schuster’s but he does run an impressive short-intermediate route tree and is slippery after the catch.” — The Draft Network Staff"
Even without exceptional traits, Brown is a big-bodied receiver who runs clean routes. This late in the first, he’s a solid option for a team needing a possession receiver.