OU’s first round drought could end next year with Brown.
NORMAN—A little more than a week ago at the NFL Draft, the first round went by without an Oklahoma player selected.
It was the fourth consecutive year no OU players went in the first round of the draft, with the last Sooner picked in the first round offensive tackle Lane Johnson in 2013.
The questions that remain about Brown—one of eight returning offensive linemen for the Sooners next season with starting experience—revolve around his footwork and his temperament.
Brown’s footwork continues to improve as he moves into his third season as OU’s starting left tackle.
He’s started 26 games there the last two seasons.
The other issue is one Brown and the Sooners are trying to fine tune without taking away the attributes that make Brown one of the top linemen in college football.
“The one thing you’ve got to be careful of is taking too much away from playing with an edge and playing with passion and you’ve got to play smart,” Bedenbaugh said.
“There’s some of them—the talking ones—you can’t do those things.
That’s what makes him a good player.” If Brown can find that balance, he figures to not only continue giving Sooners quarterback Baker Mayfield some of the best protection around but he also figures to be a first-round pick in next spring’s NFL Draft.