Pats Pulpit
Jerod Mayo’s one-year stint as New England Patriots head coach was mostly forgettable, but there are a few exceptions. One, of course, is selecting Drake Maye third overall in the draft. And while that decision will shape the franchise for years to come, it is not the only one still impacting the roster to this day.
The Patriots’ top interior offensive line backup, for example, was also acquired under Mayo.
Name: Ben Brown
Position: Interior offensive line
Jersey number: 77
Opening day age: 28 (5/19/1998)
Measurements: 6’5 1/8”, 313 lbs, 10 1/4” hand size, 34 3/8” arm length, 81 3/4” wingspan, N/A Relative Athletic Score
NFL: Cincinnati Bengals (2022), Seattle Seahawks (2023), Arizona Cardinals (2023), Las Vegas Raiders (2024), New England Patriots (2024-) | College: Ole Miss (2017-21)
A three-star recruit out of St. Aloysius High School in Vicksburg, MS, Brown spent his college career in his home state: he joined Ole Miss in 2017, and over the course of his five seasons as a Rebel started all 40 games he appeared in; he lined up at right guard for 30 of those games, and at center for the remaining 10.
Despite his versatile experience, he did not hear his name called during the 2022 NFL Draft. Instead, Brown entered the league as a rookie free agent signing with the Cincinnati Bengals. After spending his rookie campaign on the Bengals’ injured reserve with a biceps issue, he joined the Seahawks’ and Cardinals’ practice squads as a sophomore, playing one game in Seattle along the way.
He was not retained by Arizona following the 2023 season, and joined the Raiders in 2024. However, he was later signed off Las Vegas’ practice squad by the Patriots. Since joining New England, he has added 31 more games and his first 14 career starts to his NFL résumé.
Strengths: The 6-foot-5, 313-pound Brown combines good size and length with a proper athletic foundation. He is a fluid mover who has the agility to mirror in the pass game and the speed to climb to the second level or to execute as a pull and reach blocker. His spatial awareness and processing are quite solid, allowing him to recognize his targets even with moving parts around him. He generally is capable of rendering speed rushers and loopers ineffective, in part due to his vision and lateral movement skills, and also because of his active hand usage. Furthermore, his versatility is a plus.
Weaknesses: Despite a good athletic makeup, Brown is not the most explosive of blockers. He can be thrown off from a timing perspective on screen and zone plays, and takes time to disengage from double-team blocks to get upfield. He is a competitive player and good mover, who will fight for the dirty yards but also occasionally runs into trouble against power. He does not have the strongest overall makeup extending from his base and anchor in pass protection, to his leg drive in the...
