What Can Brown Do For You: The Jarrett Brown Scouting Report

Intriguing, but raw.

That seems to be the consensus feeling around the NFL regarding Jarrett Brown as a pro prospect.

The 6'3'', 223-pound former Mountaineer may take some time getting his feet settled in the big leagues, but if there is anybody that knows the meaning of patience, it’s Jarrett Brown.

Sitting on the bench for the majority of your career will help teach you a lot about patience. After seeing only spot duty in his first three years, Brown stuck it out, and finally got his shot as the leader of the West Virginia offense this past season.

It would turn out to be an up and down year for the Florida native.

During the season, Brown had games where he showed just how much of a difference maker he can be. Yet, he also had outings where his inexperience was quite evident.

Through the first five games of the season, the dual-threat quarterback had West Virginia’s offense rolling as the team got off to a 4-1 start. With the exception of a soggy Saturday night in Auburn, Brown was on his game and running the offense with efficiency.

Then came the Marshall game and a concussion that would end up forcing Jarrett to sit out after just one offensive series. It is heavily speculated by many that the concussion was the turning point of his season. It just never seemed as if he was quite able to get back on track and back into the flow of things.

The team managed just a 4-3 record in the last stretch of the season.

In that latter part of the year, the offense looked sluggish throughout most games. As Jarrett’s accuracy waned, the collective passing game did as well. He no longer looked as sharp as he did to begin the season.

Although the teams struggles during that period definitely cannot be pinned squarely on Jarrett’s shoulders, he didn’t seem to be helping matters very much. The offense lacked a true rhythm in many instances, and Jarrett’s questionable decision-making hurt the team at certain points.

A promising season that had started with such a bang, ended with a disappointing thud.

Jarrett would ultimately end up being pulled due to injury in a Gator Bowl loss to the Florida State Seminoles. His season to shine would turn out to be a 9-4 campaign that was marred by inconsistencies.

With his career in the blue and gold now over, Brown is left, again, to wait for his shot—only this time, with an NFL team.

When you go to break down Jarrett Brown as a quarterback prospect, the first thing that stands out is his natural ability. Though he may not be the most polished of players, he certainly has god-given gifts that most others cannot match. With the body of an Adonis, and the athleticism to match, Brown certainly passes the eyeball test.

It was at the combine were he passed the biggest of those eyeball tests and put himself on the radar of many decision-makers. Finishing near the top of every physical test and displaying consistency with all of his throws, only helped to boost his stock.

Brown had as good of a combine as any quarterback that worked out, and showed that he was a worthy adversary for Tim Tebow in the battle for most athletic quarterback honors.

When scouts watch the film of Jarrett, they will find things they like and things they can pick apart.

The natural skills stand out to the naked eye. The mobility, the big arm—it’s all there. There’s no denying that Jarrett has the basic talent and skill set to be a quarterback in the NFL, but it is going to take some refinement.

He does not display the poise you would like to see in a signal caller. Brown can be jumpy in the pocket, and is often quick to rely on his running ability to get him out of trouble. You would like to see him work on his patience and pocket awareness a little more.

You would also like to see him make better decisions in his reads, but that comes with game experience. He will also need some experience when it comes to reading defenses properly.

West Virginia's offensive system did not have many complexities when it came to the passing game. Thus, it’s going to take time and a lot of film study for an NFL playbook to soak in.

The simplicity of the run-first, zone-read system he played in may have set his development back a bit, but it also allowed him to show off his tremendous athletic abilities.

The natural skills that a quarterback needs like footwork, a good release, and recognition all need to be finely tuned. However, if Jarrett can get a quality quarterback coach to work with, he should be able to overcome all these deficiencies.

As for his personality, it is questionable whether or not Brown has what it takes to lead grown men into the battles of an NFL season. He is a quiet, soft spoken young man with a southern drawl that could ease most into a relaxing slumber. He is not really the screaming, motivating, take a team, and put it on his back type of guy.

The leadership intangibles might not fully be there, and Jarrett isn’t going to wow anyone with his intelligence (15 on the Wonderlic), but he is also a player that seems devoid of drama. No clashes with receivers, coordinators, and such. He prefers the laid back lifestyle of runway modeling to that of press conferences and interviews.

Brown does not prescribe to the star quarterback, "look at me" type of attitude. He is easy going and laid back—almost to a fault.

Teams know what they are getting with a player like Jarrett Brown. They are getting a project. They are getting a player that needs work, but if a team is truly willing to put in the time and effort with him, their investment could pay off tremendously in the years to come.

If you were to try and compare him to a player in the NFL, names like Donovan McNabb and David Garrard would probably come up. He possesses more natural athleticism than both though.

Jarrett is a piece of athletic clay waiting to be molded by the offensive minds of the NFL. With the advent of the Wildcat offense, there are now more opportunities for Brown to contribute in different ways within an offense.

So, as we approach the draft, the picture starts to become clearer as to how Jarrett is valued by the league. Once considered a late-round project, the Mountaineer quarterback now looks to be taken as early as the third round.

There’s no denying he is going to take some work, but the upside that Brown has will be too hard for some team to pass up.

If a team is looking for a player that moves the chains, rarely turns the ball over, and can make the occasional explosive play with his feet, then Brown could be their man.

The tag of "intriguing, but raw" is a fitting one. There is a lot to be intrigued about with a player as blessed as Jarrett Brown. He is raw, as are many collegiate football players entering the pros, but with patience and hard work, he could make the team that selects him a very happy one in the coming years.