This Equanimeous St. Brown preview is part of a series of previews of the 2017 college football season. These previews aim to provide for scouting prospects in the 2018 rookie draft.
2016 Tape Review
St. Brown is long and lanky at 6’4″. He led Notre Dame in receiving in 2016 with 58 catches, 961 yards, and 9 touchdowns.
St. Brown is a popular name in devy circles, but his tape is hit or miss. He has the ability to high point the football and is a capable red zone threat on back shoulder throws. He also was freqently targeted on deep posts and vertical routes.
While he flashed athleticism, St. Brown played weaker than he should. He was listed at 205 pounds, but he appears rail thin on tape. He struggles to shed a jam and in contested situations, he struggles with physicality.
There are also inconsistencies with his hands. He is better catching the ball away from his body, than on his frame. He double catches and bubbles the ball often. This is a product of inconsistent hand technique. On tape, it looks as if he is fighting the ball into his body, and his hands are not positioned to catch the ball cleanly. This hinders his ability to make plays after the catch.
Wide Receiver Matrix Score – 6 (Capability to Fill In Season Role, Uncomfortable in Offseason = WR2)
St. Brown is raw and needs to develop his technique and his physical strength. His current BMI of 25 is in the non-starter threshold. Without the ability to bulk up and play at a stronger level of physicality, he is a complementary piece in an offense. Josh Reynolds fit a similar profile in 2017, but Reynolds had better ball skills.
2017 Preview
St. Brown is very raw as a wide receiver. He needs to improve his play strength, his route running technique, and his catching technique.
He returns to Notre Dame’s offense in 2017 with a season under his belt of leading the team in receiving. However, there is plenty of questions, including a new quarterback and Brian Kelly’s standing with the team.
St. Brown is well-rounded person off the field. He is multilingual, a 4.0 student and the son of former Mr. Universe. That combination of attributes makes him a good narrative, and a player that should handle the pre-draft process well.
Bottom Line
Chad’s metrics like St. Brown to profile as a 1st round NFL Draft pick. From a tape perspective, he needs more development to become an elite NFL prospect.
There is a segment of the dynasty and devy community that loves St. Brown. With that level of support, he is likely to be a 1st round rookie pick if he declares for the 2018 NFL draft. The range of that pick is a key question of whether he is a target or avoid player.
The important take away from St. Brown is this: whether you like him or not, there will be multiple owners in your league who value him as a 1st round rookie pick. If you don’t, you will have a market to sell the pick at a strong return.
