Looking ahead: Watch out for the Browns

by Site Admin

No, not the Cleveland Browns...

With most of the media coverage centered around off-field rifts, absences, firings and hirings, it was easy to forget that the Jets were on the field this week for the last time until camp.

What coverage we did get about the on-field action was mostly centered around Sam Darnold. However, a few players did reportedly impress. Two of those were tight end Daniel Brown and cornerback Kyron Brown.

Let's start with the tight end. Having previously impressed Jets Confidential's Dan Leberfeld, Brown was named as the surprise standout of the offseason so far by Rich Cimini of ESPN:

Known as a blocking tight end and special-teams player, Brown has impressed with his ability as a receiver. No one expected much from him in the passing game because he played only 23 offensive snaps last season with the Bears (221 on special teams), but he has displayed more downfield speed than anticipated.

Having previously stated that Brown would need to outperform Jordan Leggett or Neal Sterling (and perhaps both) to have a shot at making the roster, it bodes well for Brown that each has since been released. Brown, who played for Dowell Loggains in Chicago, is not eligible for the practice squad.

The comment about him being a blocking tight end isn't really accurate, as he's a converted wide receiver and, based on film study, offers little as a blocker. However, it's good to hear he's been having an impact in the passing game.

His namesake Kyron is an undrafted cornerback who some guy named Bent from SNY has been talking up for some time. The younger Brown has been getting some reps with the second unit and has intercepted Trevor Siemian multiple times this summer, including another one earlier this week:

The AP's Dennis Waszak offered up a nuanced take on how well he's performed so far:

Obviously you can't get too excited about how well a player is performing this early in the year with so many veterans sitting out or just going through the motions. If you could, Chad Hansen and Derrick Jones would have been key contributors for the Jets last season. However, it's good to see these players, who each have a realistic chance of earning a role, off to a solid start.

BONUS LINK - Bent's scouting report on Daniel Brown.