04/30/2012 - A closer look at the Rams' picks: Round 7/209 - Aaron Brown, OLB, 6-0, 237, Hawaii...Productive, but undersized linebacker that had 103 tackles (13 for loss), 4.5 sacks and three interceptions last season. - The Sports Xchange
Brown is a developmental project who didn't earn an invite to the scouting combine, but impressed at his pro day, which Hawaii has conducted in California the past few years to provide better access to NFL scouts.
Brown ran a 4.78-second 40-yard dash and pushed 225 pounds up a very impressive 31 times to go along with a 34-inch vertical. Brown's strength has always been an asset as a former high school wrestler. He was also invited to the Casino Del Sol Bowl postseason all-star event.
A native of Spokane, Washington, he played high school football in Puyallup on the western side of the state before heading to Saddleback Community College in Arizona. He enrolled at Hawaii in 2009, and took over the starting MAC linebacker job in 2010, finishing third on the team with 83 tackles.
Brown was a first-team all-WAC pick as a senior, starting 12 games at linebacker and registering 103 tackles, including 13 for loss.
Analysis
Strengths: Two-year starter with good production, leading the team in tackles per game in 2011 and finishing with 103 total stops. Fluid athlete for his size is quick-footed. Good awareness and read/react skills to break down the action and attack. Good ball skills, leading the team in interceptions as a senior with three. Takes accurate angles and plays smart. Reliable tackler with good technique. Hard worker on and off the field and loves the game of football. Shined at the Casino Del Sol Bowl and impressed during pre-draft workouts.
Weaknesses: Undersized frame with limited growth potential, lining up as a defensive back earlier in his career. Doesn't have NFL strength and needs to spend more time in the weight room. Gets lost in a crowd and struggles to sift through the garbage. Doesn't play with a consistently aggressive attitude and has a streaky motor. Doesn't look natural in coverage and struggles in man coverage, constantly playing from behind. Character needs investigated after he was suspended for the 2011 season opener after an arrest for a bar fight.
--Dane Brugler
