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Ji'Ayir Brown latest Penn State product called in NFL Draft

nate-mug-10.12.14by:Nate Bauer•04/28/23•

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Penn State safety Ji'Ayir Brown has been selected in the NFL Draft. (Daniel Althouse/BWI)

Penn State has landed another former Nittany Lion defensive back as an early round pick in this year’s NFL Draft. Ji’Ayir Brown, a 5-foot-11, 203-pound safety from Trenton, N.J., was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the third round. He is the 87th overall pick in this year’s draft.

Brown entered the weekend owning a draft grade of 6.30 by the NFL. That carries with it the designation of expectations to eventually be “plus starter” at the next level.

Certainly, that aligns with the expectations Penn State head coach James Franklin has had for Brown throughout his career.

Last season, Franklin made abundantly clear his position on Brown’s preparedness for the NFL. He virtually pounded the table that the fifth-year senior had done more than enough to demonstrate a worthiness that would translate to the NFL.

“I’ve said this before. I don’t think he’s getting enough attention,” Franklin said. “I don’t think enough people are talking about him when it comes to college football awards, when it comes to the NFL. His name should be all over the place. He plays his tail off. He makes his teammates better, he’s able to impact the game both in the run game and in the pass game. He’s a very well-rounded football player, and he’s been a phenomenal leader for us.”

Now, Brown will get that opportunity.

Ji’Ayir Brown leaves big shoes to fill

Sports Info Solutions offers an analysis of what NFL fans should expect from Brown at the next level:

“Brown is tailor-made to be an intelligent, instinctual, reliable, starter for a championship team and will thrive in an NFL that is trending towards more 2-high defenses due to his lack of long speed.”

In his absence, though, the Nittany Lions have big shoes to fill in the secondary. Along with the absence of Joey Porter Jr. from last year’s dominant defensive backfield, Penn State will need to turn to an experienced returning starter to help fill the vacancy left by Brown.

At safety, that will specifically take shape with the emergence of fifth-year senior Keaton Ellis. The State College Area product, Ellis has already been named a captain ahead of the 2023 season.

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