The National Football League, in general, is built upon mid-round NFL Draft prospects. Players like these not only provide much needed depth on the roster, but also have the potential to be long-term contributors. In the case of North Carolina wide receiver Dyami Brown, he has the potential to be one of these long-term prospects.
At the time of this writing, The Draft Network has Dyami Brown ranked 134th on the 2021 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings. NFLdraftscout.com has a third round draft projection listed for Brown. In this article, we’ll examine Dyami Brown’s abilities and breakdown his draft stock. I have three games for us to watch as well, so without further ado, let’s get to the nitty-gritty.
The Background
Dyami Brown was a consensus four-star prospect according to ESPN, Rivals, and 247sports. Brown was a member of the ESPN300 as he was rated the 5th prospect overall in state of North Carolina and 32nd overall wide receiver in the nation. Brown was invited to the 2017 Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas. Before selecting North Carolina, Brown had offers from Alabama, Florida, Oklahoma, and Michigan.
Brown enrolled at the University of North Carolina in January of 2018. In his true freshman season, Dyami Brown started six games, and appeared in ten, for North Carolina. Brown’s lone touchdown of the 2018 season came in a matchup against Pitt. In addition to the touchdown, Brown finished the season with 17 catches for 173 yards, as well as a 10.2 yards per reception average.
The 2019 season was a breakout one for Brown. In a conference game against Virginia, Dyami Brown finished with three touchdowns, his career highest for North Carolina. Brown finished the season with 9 other touchdowns, for a season total of 12. Brown also had two triple-digit receiving yard games against Virginia and North Carolina State. Dyami Brown also saw his yards per reception increase to 20.3 as he finished with 1,034 yards total. To cap off the season, Dyami Brown was a third-team All-ACC selection for the North Carolina Tarheels.
What I Like About Dyami Brown
Out of high school,Brown was a four-star recruit. As I watched game film on Brown, it was clear what the University of North Carolina, as well as many others, saw in him. For our first game below, we’re going to take a look at the 2019 home game against Clemson.
Mental Processing and Route Running
Below, we’ll see Dyami Brown at the bottom of the screen for North Carolina. When I watched this game the first time, I noticed that Brown was alerting his quarterback on several occasions. On this play, Brown recognizes the mismatch against A.J. Terrell. Given how the Clemson defensive backs are asked to cover the receiver, Brown uses this to his advantage. Dyami Brown fakes a slight cut to the inside, forcing the defender to adjust, which allows him to create space and the touchdown for North Carolina.
Downfield Blocking Ability
On this play, Dyami Brown is at the top of the screen for the North Carolina Tarheels. What I really like here is Brown’s ability to drive through the defender and create plenty of space for the running back. Had the safety not been there over the top, Brown had created enough room for the back to cut back inside. Overall, this is a very solid effort from the wide receiver.
Catch Radius and Acceleration
Much like the first play above, this play really stood out when I first watched this game. Dyami Brown makes a nice cut at the top of his route to create instant separation, but that’s not what I want to highlight. Rather, take note of the catch radius that Brown displays. He’s able to catch this ball away from his body, and away form the defender, with ease. With the ball secured, Dyami Brown turns on the jets and gets upfield in a hurry for North Carolina for the touchdown.
What I Dislike About Dyami Brown
Now that we’ve examined three plays that highlight Dyami Brown’s strengths for North Carolina, it’s time to look at the weaknesses. Below, we’ll once again take a look at the 2019 home game against Clemson.
Hands and Catching Ability
First off, I really like the route running from Brown here. He fakes to the outside before making his cut to create separation at the point of contact. With no one around him, the ball hits Dyami Brown in the hands and falls incomplete. This play is a fantastic example of what Brown can expect to see in the NFL, so the result is a bit disappointing.
Blocking Effort In Middle Of The Field
I put spotlight on Brown’s blocking ability earlier in this article. On this play, Dyami Brown has to engage the defender in the middle of the field as he’s asked to run block. Unfortunately, Brown fails to engage his defender and attempt to establish leverage in the situation. Had the receiver been able to do so, this play could have gone to the endzone. Instead, it’s a play that coaches will gripe about. It’s all about effort here.
The Competition
While it’s still rather early in the 2021 NFL Draft process, we still have a picture of where Dyami Brown could be drafted, albeit that it might be a bit blurry. Of the receivers that Brown will have to compete with for NFL Draft stock, the most notables are teammate Dazz Newsome, Louisville slot receiver Chatarious Atwell, and SEC prospects Trevon Grimes and Elijah Moore.
In addition to those named above, we have to look at prospects from Clemson, too. Justyn Ross, who will miss the 2020 season due to a spinal issue, could find himself competing for draft stock with Dyami Brown, should he be given a clean bill of health. Amari Rodgers could benefit from the added playing time given the injury to Ross. If that’s the case, Dyami Brown could fall out of the day two range in the 2021 NFL Draft.
The Verdict
Ultimately, Dyami Brown isa talented receiver for the University of North Carolina. Much like The Draft Network and NFL Draft Scout, I also have a mid-day two to early-day three grade on him. As was highlighted on previous pages, Brown is a talented prospect. While it’s not a lock that he enters the 2021 NFL Draft, I do believe that it is somewhat likely.
Given the jump that Dyami Brown took from the 2018 to the 2019 season, another jump this season could propel Brown into the conversation as an early day two draft pick. If the ACC does indeed opt to play a conference-only schedule, I don’t see much of an impact on Brown’s stock. Rather, I think it might be more of a benefit. Dyami Brown had career games against Pitt, Virginia, and North Carolina State, all of which are members of the ACC.
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