Is Tre Brown CB depth Chicago Bears need in 2021 NFL draft?

Tre Brown was a four-star recruit for the Oklahoma Sooners. He did not play much as a freshman but slowly started to earn his stripes as a second starting outside cornerback for Oklahoma. He finished his career as a second-team all-conference performer.

Below you can see the career stats of Tre Brown.

Tre Brown size and athleticism

Height: 5’9″

Weight: 188 Lbs

Broad: 10.3

Vertical: 38

40: 4.45

20 Shuttle: 4.27

3-cone: 7.08

Bench: 13

NFL Traits that Tre Brown brings

Tre Brown is an undersized cornerback, but he plays bigger than his listed size. His best trait may be his press technique. He does a great job of getting his hands on the receiver early and steering them in the direction that he wants. He dictates the route and reads them well to get his hands on the football. That is shown in his high pass defense numbers. Some of his best tape is against Tylan Wallace, a future NFL WR from Oklahoma State.

Brown also brings that same physicality against the run and is never afraid to stick his head in against the run.

NFL Weaknesses for Tre Brown

The issue with Brown is obvious from a size perspective. He is great as a press corner, but most NFL teams are going to pinhole him in the slot, where he cannot jam as much. He also would struggle to jam in the NFL with his lack of length.

The length issue shows up most when the ball is in the air, Brown is in position, and he still loses. This is why he will likely have to go to the slot. Brown has played outside his entire career, though. He has not followed receivers over the middle of the field often and typically plays with the advantage of the sideline.

Lastly, the biggest issue is that while he plays with a physical edge, he often can be penalized because of it. Browns walk that line, and against bigger players, may get caught holding on for dear life more often.

Tre Brown NFL Comparison

Looking at his size, and athleticism, there is not a long list of corners as small as him. He also has just average agility numbers, and as noted is almost better outside than in the slot. With this, Robert Alford is the best upside comparison for Brown. He is undersized but had the speed, and smarts to play press corner for the Falcons, and maintain a strong career.

Nevin Lawson is another player of similar size, who was able to play inside and outside. He plays with a similar physical edge and has maintained a solid starting career. This could be a more reasonable outcome for someone like Tre Brown.

Does Tre Brown fit Chicago Bears? 

The Chicago Bears need a cornerback. While they would be looking to replace Buster Skrine, they also could use a long-term replacement for Kyle Fuller. Tre Brown could be a great fit. His size an issue, but Ryan Pace has bet and won on guys like Bryce Callahan in the past.

Brown also has the inside-outside versatility that would be vital to fit on the roster. Lastly, his tenacity as a tackler would immediately get him on special teams, which would ensure a spot on the 53-man roster.

Tre Brown is going to fall to day-three with his size and position questions. At pick 164, or 204, he would be a great addition to the Chicago Bears cornerback room.