BROOKINGS, SD, SEPTEMBER 8: xxxxxxxxxxx (Dave Eggen/Inertia)
Jordan Brown broke every receiving record en route to all-state honours at Paradise Valley High School in Phoenix, Arizona.
A three-sport athlete, Brown also ran track and started for a state championship-winning basketball program, where he put up 11 points per game.
Still, the young receiver was a 0-star recruit entering college, ultimately committing to play over 2,400 kilometers away for the South Dakota State Jackrabbits.
A late bloomer who got taller and stronger during his time in Brookings, South Dakota, Brown worked himself from 0-star wide receiver recruit to an NFL cornerback prospect after switching positions early in college, becoming a team captain and picking up First Team FC All-American honours on the way.
He was rewarded with an invitation to the 2019 Reese’s Senior Bowl, where he caught the eye of Blue Bombers’ Senior Assistant General Manager/Director of Player Personnel Ted Goveia. Noting Brown’s speed, explosiveness and soft hands, Ted filed away a report on the young defensive back that sat in our database for a few years. To me, this perfectly illustrates the long-term nature of CFL player acquisition.
After a strong showing at both the NFL Combine South Dakota State Pro Day, Brown was selected in the seventh round, 223rd overall, in the 2019 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals.
Fast forward to August of 2022, and Assistant General Manager/Director of U.S. Scouting Danny McManus was at New Orleans Saints’ training camp, one of his eight annual NFL stops before the season.
Danny noticed Brown, now on his fifth NFL team, standing out in drills. Noting Brown’s sturdy build, quick feet to mirror route breaks, and the ball skills he developed as a converted wide receiver, Danny graded him favourably, inputting another strong report into our scouting database.
We kept a close eye on Brown throughout the rest of the 2022 season, and once he did not sign a reserve/futures deal with an NFL team once the season ended in January, Danny placed Brown on our negotiation list and reached out to the defensive back’s agent to get a deal done. Over four years after Ted first scouted him, we signed Brown to a standard 1 + 1 rookie contract, which will give him the ability to re-enter the NFL if they come calling following the 2023 CFL season.
In Bombers’ training camp, expect to see Brown lining up at several different spots in the defensive backfield as our defensive backs coach Jordan Younger finds his best fit with us. Based on our scouting reports on Brown, I’d expect the lion’s share of his snaps to come at outside cornerback spots, where his prototypical size (Over 6-foot and 200 pounds) and ability to run vertical will help him to potentially stand out amidst a very talented group.
For Blue Bombers fans watching training camp, look for Brown to showcase impressive ball skills, fluid hips, and recovery speed to make up ground when he’s initially beaten. With his combination of size, explosiveness, and ball skills, he will give our bigger receivers an interesting challenge when the ball is in the air.
As the Bombers scouting crew continues to bring in rookies to add roster competition, Brown is another player who bolsters the depth of our defensive back room.
Cyril Penn is a Blue Bombers U.S.-based scout and he will be writing regularly for bluebombers.com through the spring, providing an inside look at some of the American prospects the club will brining to training camp.
