The defender visited the 49ers in Santa Clara ahead of the draft and met with the team at the NFL Scouting Combine.
RELATED
Brown registered 74 tackles, seven tackles for a loss, 4.5 sacks, three passes defensed, four interceptions, and two forced fumbles through 13 game appearances as a senior in 2022, per Sports Reference. He recorded 153 tackles, nine tackles for a loss, 4.5 sacks, nine passes defensed, 10 interceptions, a touchdown, and three forced fumbles through his three collegiate seasons.
"Versatile defensive back who has shown the ability to line up over the slot, play as a down safety and patrol the outfield as a Cover 1 safety ready to read and range," Lance Zierlein wrote within the player's NFL.com scouting report, comparing Brown to Ryan Clark. "The lack of speed and explosiveness Brown showed at the NFL Scouting Combine won't help his draft stock, but he's a fiery run defender and plays with undeniable coverage instincts. He has an excellent motor that fuels him throughout the game, as well. He needs to play with a little more discipline or veteran quarterbacks and play-callers will bait him into mistakes. Brown's versatility and football character could help him eventually become an NFL starter."
Brown registered 74 tackles, seven tackles for a loss, 4.5 sacks, three passes defensed, four interceptions, and two forced fumbles through 13 game appearances as a senior in 2022, per Sports Reference, being named the team's Most Valuable Player. He recorded 153 tackles, nine tackles for a loss, 4.5 sacks, nine passes defensed, 10 interceptions, a touchdown, and three forced fumbles through his three collegiate seasons.
Ji'Ayir "Tig" Brown was the Defensive MVP of the Rose Bowl (eight tackles, 1.5 sacks, interception) in Penn State's 35-21 win over Utah. The safety gained his nickname from Tigger from "Winnie the Pooh" because, as a toddler, he enjoyed bouncing.
Brown is from Trenton, NJ. He earned a pre-draft grade of 6.3 from NFL.com, which equates to an "eventual strong starter," per the site's 8-point grading scale.
At the NFL Scouting Combine, the 5' 11 3/8" and 203-pound Brown had a 40-time of 4.65 seconds, a vertical jump of 32.5 inches, a broad jump of 119 inches, and 18 reps in the bench press. His other measurables include an arm length of 31 1/4 inches and hands measuring 10 1/8 inches.
Brown had a 40-time of 4.58 seconds, a vertical jump of 35.50 inches, a broad jump of 124 inches, and a 20-yard shuttle time of 4.21 seconds at his personal Pro Day, per NFLDraftBuzz.
NFL.com projected Brown to be a third-round draft pick.
Below is the NFL.com draft profile bio on Brown:
Ji'Ayir (pronounced jye-YEAR) "Tig" Brown gained his nickname because he loved to bounce as a toddler, just like Tigger from the "Winnie the Pooh" books. He garnered first-team all-state honors as a senior at Trenton Central High School. From there, he enrolled at Lackawanna College, where he played with future Penn State teammate Jaquan Brisker and earned first-team All-American honors his sophomore year. Brown played in nine games as a reserve in 2020 (six tackles, one for loss, one pass breakup) before breaking out in 2021 playing next to Brisker. He was a third-team All-Big Ten Conference pick, tying for the FBS lead with six interceptions, posting 73 tackles and breaking up five passes in 13 starts. Brown was the team's Most Valuable Player in 2022, garnering third-team All-Big Ten Conference accolades with a team-high 74 tackles (seven for loss with 4.5 sacks) and four interceptions while also breaking up three passes and forcing two fumbles in 13 starts. He was the Defensive MVP of the Rose Bowl (eight tackles, 1.5 sacks, interception) in Penn State's win over Utah. -- by Chad Reuter
Brentley Weissman of The Draft Network wrote the following about Brown within his scouting report:
Penn State's Ji'Ayir Brown is coming off of two of the most productive seasons a safety has had in college football in the past 10 years. He has been a force against the run, racking up 122 tackles the last two seasons and has also proved to be a ball-hawk by bringing down 10 interceptions in that same timeframe. The senior safety enters the NFL with a lot to like as a prospect and teams will be able to utilize his skills in a variety of different roles.
Brown aligned primarily as a deep safety in split-safety looks for the Nittany Lions but has also seen snaps in the box and in the slot. Brown has above-average size for the position and is a good overall athlete. Brown displays excellent straight-line speed and burst, both as a run defender and in coverage.
In the run game, he flashes a quick trigger and will come downhill to fill the alley in a hurry and he brings bad intentions when he does. Brown is a violent hitter who looks to deliver knockout shots. That brings energy to the defense but also leaves Brown susceptible to missed tackles—an area that is a major concern. While Brown has excellent straight-line speed and short-area burst to trigger on the ball carrier, his angles to the football are poor and he sets himself up to fail more times than not. He is at his best in the run game when he is down in the box where he can make plays near the line of scrimmage.
In coverage, Brown flashes above-average range in the back end and does have speed to make plays red line to red line. The issue is, his instincts in coverage are just average, he is late to see things develop, and also will get fooled by play-action and misdirection—which will leave him a step or two behind. When Brown does recognize the play, he certainly has the explosiveness to get to the ball and his ball skills are outstanding. In man coverage, Brown shows stiffness and his change of direction is just average. He takes extra steps when he breaks down out of his pedal, leaving room for receivers to separate. Again, he is best when playing shallow areas of the field rather than deep.
Overall, Brown's lack of instincts and his liability as a consistent tackler make him hard to trust as anything more than a backup safety and a core special teams player, but he does flash impressive linear athleticism and toughness.
Measurables
Height: 5' 11 3/8"
Weight: 203 lbs.
Arm length: 31 1/4 inches
Hand length: 10 1/8 inches
NFL Scouting Combine
40-time: 4.65 seconds
Vertical: 32.5 inches
Broad jump: 119 inches
Bench press: 18 reps
College Statistics | |||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | School | Class | G | Solo | Ast | Tot | Loss | Sk | Int | ||||||||
2020 | Penn State | JR | 6 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 0 | -- | ||||||||
2021 | Penn State | SR | 13 | 61 | 12 | 73 | 1 | 0 | 6 | ||||||||
2022 | Penn State | SR | 13 | 56 | 18 | 74 | 7 | 4.5 | 4 | ||||||||
Total | Penn State | 122 | 31 | 153 | 9 | 4.5 | 10 |
Related News
More San Francisco 49ers News
-
49ers to host Ohio State DT and Washington State WR on pre-draft visits
The San Francisco 49ers are finalizing their 30 pre-draft visits, with most set to occur next week at the team's Santa Clara facilities. A pair of Williams—Ohio State defensive tackle Tyleik Williams and Washington State wide receiver Kyle Williams—will be among the... -
FOX Sports identifies Arizona State running back as a potential 49ers draft fit
The San Francisco 49ers may use one of their 11 picks in the 2025 NFL Draft to bolster their backfield. Christian McCaffrey, while healthy now, missed 13 games last season due to various injuries. Meanwhile, Jordan Mason, who finished as the team's leading rusher, was traded to... -
49ers address offseason losses in Chad Reuter's five-round mock draft
Last month, NFL Media draft analyst Chad Reuter released a four-round mock draft with the San Francisco 49ers strengthening both sides of the trenches in the early rounds while adding depth and potential contributors later. In his latest projections for NFL.com, Reuter... -
49ers trade up twice in 7-round mock draft
Chris Trapasso's latest 7-round mock draft for CBS Sports features some bold moves by the San Francisco 49ers, including two trade-ups and a surprising slide by one of the top offensive tackles in this year's class. Trapasso has Missouri's Armand Membou as the first offensive...