Spencer Brown is a top ten player at his position, and I’m not talking about the tackle. While the Northern Iowa tackle has gotten a lot of hype, there is another player with the same name that is a good football player. This one is a running back from UAB. The running back started his career as a linebacker in high school, and when UAB needed a running back, Brown ran a sub-4.6 40-yard dash and wowed the coaching staff. He ran for over 4,000 yards, 41 rushing touchdowns, and 19 career games with over 100 yards. Brown is a consensus undrafted pick, but there is more talent than that.
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Player Bio
Name: Spencer Brown
Jersey: #4
Position: Running Back
School: UAB
Class: Senior
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 208 lbs
Vision (9/10)
Brown’s best trait is his vision. He is a patient runner that waits for lanes to open and runs through them with brute force. He isn’t fast but is quick. Brown can skim his way through smaller lanes and make the most out of them.
Change of Direction (6.25/10)
Brown isn’t a back to get out in space and allow him to make the most of it. He will force his way through defenses and will often end up in the endzone. There were times where he could fake out a defender, but it wasn’t very often.
Durability (7.75/10)
Brown has 858 total rushing attempts to his name. Many will see that as bad because of all the wear and tear he has, while others may see it as good as he will likely be a second or third man in a rotation in the NFL. Brown is used to having a large workload and likely won’t have to anymore.
Receiving Skills (3/10)
Brown only has 20 career interceptions. He isn’t a receiving back at all. Most of his routes came on running back curls and flat routes coming out of the backfield. It isn’t a good sign, but it looks as though Brown could do more in this regard.
Ball Security (8.25/10)
He only had six career fumbles and three in 2017. Brown is reliable with the ball in his hands and rarely gave up the football.
Elusiveness (6.75/10)
Brown is more of a downhill runner. He does have some elusiveness, but it isn’t what he focuses on. Brown will break away from some defenders, but secondary players will keep up with him and bring him down.
Effort (8.5/10)
Brown never stops churning his feet with the ball in his hands. In the passing game, however, he seems to jog his way through the route.
Athleticism (7.75/10)
Brown posted a 4.58 40 time and put up 16 reps in the bench press. The 40 time is similar to what was seen on tape and surprised many at his pro day.
Balance (8.25/10)
Brown isn’t a tackle-breaker by any means, but he is difficult to bring down. He can truck through people and stay upright for a few more yards.
Pass Protection (4.25/5)
He is a solid pass protector. His big frame helps him, and he keeps fighting to keep his quarterback upright.
Injury (4.5/5)
Brown missed five games during his junior year with many different injuries.
Player Summary
Brown is a diamond in the rough. Many have him as an undrafted running back, and when you say his name, many think of the tackle instead of him. He is a hard runner that has a lot of tread on his tires and should do just fine in a smaller role, maybe as a third-down back thanks to his pass blocking. His lack of receiving production is quite concerning, but he seems to have some decent route running prowess to receive a larger role. Brown could be the virtual unknown running back that has a big role come the 2021 season.
Final Grade (74.25/100): Late Fourth Round
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