Patriots kick-off 2016 in 90 days: Profiling No. 90 Malcom Brown
Welcome to another installment in Musket Fire’s annual jersey number-dictated New England Patriots kick-off countdown series. For the duration of the summer, we will be profiling the player whose jersey number corresponds with the number of days left until the New England Patriots open the season against the Arizona Cardinals on Sept. 11. Since today marks 90 days until the Sunday Night Football opener, we are profiling No. 90, defensive tackle Malcom Brown
Size: 6-foot-2, 320 pounds
College: Texas
2015 stats: 48 combined tackles, three sacks, two fumble recoveries
NFL experience: One season
Hometown: Brenham, TX
The Patriots were extremely fortunate to have Brown fall into their lap at No. 32 in the 2015 NFL Draft, and they didn’t hesitate to select the powerful defensive tackle. Brown did not disappoint in his rookie year with the Patriots, starting in 12 of his 16 regular season appearances. While many were concerned what the Patriots were going to do without Vince Wilfork, Brown put all those worries to rest by establishing himself as a fixture on the interior of the defensive line.
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Nimble for his size, Brown does it all. He’s a solid run stopper as his 320-pound frame suggests, and he can also make an impact in the pass rush, as evidenced by those three sacks on the season.
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Entering 2016, Brown should be viewed as the top defensive tackle on the Patriots’ depth chart. And that is no small feat considering the presence of proven veterans Alan Branch and Terrance Knighton on the roster.
Recent installments in Patriots kick-off countdown profile series:
91 days – No. 91 Jamie Collins
92 days – No. 92 Geneo Grissom
93 days – No. 93 Jabaal Sheard
The Patriots may have shed their 2014 first round pick this offseason, but Brown is doing what Dominique Easley was drafted for: stout run defense and interior pass rushing (yes, Easley is better than Brown in that area, but Brown is nothing to sneeze at either).
The only difference, and the reason why the Patriots cut ties with Easley, is that Brown is a pro’s pro. He embodies the Patriot Way in every sense of the word. From the moment he showed up to the facility as a rookie to the present day, Brown has carried himself like a longtime NFLer. The future is bright for No. 90.
Since there is no player with the No. 89 currently on the Patriots’ roster, the series takes a break tomorrow. But be sure to stop by Musket Fire on Wednesday when we mark 88 days until the Patriots open 2016 in the Arizona desert by profiling No. 88, veteran linebacker Clay Harbor.