ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — At 6-foot-3, 240 pounds with blazing 4.51 40 speed and experience playing all over the field at one of the powerhouses of college football, there was a lot to love about Baron Browning coming out of Ohio State.
One of the most enticing aspects about Browning was his versatility. At Ohio State, the five-star recruit played middle linebacker and outside linebacker during his collegiate career. In the NFL, he could play either, or both. Versatility like that is a dangerous weapon for a defense, especially for a defensive mastermind like Vic Fangio.
But to begin his NFL career, that versatility will be put on hold. Browning will play and learn one position. And that’s just what the 22-year old needs to successfully take the giant leap to the NFL.
During rookie minicamp, Browning said it was a “great feeling” being able to begin his NFL career at just one position.
“I can focus on that one position and critique every small detail,” he added. “When you’re asked to do so many jobs—I embraced that role and I feel like I’m a very selfless player and a team player—it’s hard to find all the small intangibles and critique yourself the same way you could if you’re playing one position.”
Despite playing mainly on the outside his senior year as a Buckeye, Browning will transition back to the inside in Denver. Wearing No. 56 in Orange & Blue, Browning’s large frame and athletic ability is reminiscent of former Bronco great Al Wilson, who also donned the same number.
“We are going to leave him at inside linebacker here for a good bit, see how he does and go from there,” Fangio said hours after drafting Browning in the third round.
However, just minutes before that, the new Bronco said he was more comfortable at outside linebacker than inside backer, adding, “but at the end of the day, I’ll play wherever they need me to play.”
“I’ll play kicker,” he joked.
Yet after just one practice during rookie minicamp, Browning said the transition back to inside backer didn’t take long.
“I felt comfortable yesterday,” he stated on Saturday, referring to his first-career practice in Denver.
For the foreseeable future, that’s where Browning will be. While having the threat of playing all over the field is enticing — and will likely be used at some point in his career — as a rookie, Browning needs to settle into one position and master it from the mental side of the game.
“No matter how good of an athlete you are, if you give somebody a lot of responsibility, all those different responsibilities start to blend together,” Browning said, explaining why he can excel even more by staying at one position early on. “You’re trying to be cautious and make sure you’re doing the right thing before you read what you see and go because you don’t want to have a mishap. I think playing one position allows you to play faster.”
The rookie added that staying at inside linebacker will free him up from over thinking. The goal is to eventually have the position down so much so that his instincts take over. To get to that point, he needs to master the playbook, which will be significantly easier being able to focus on only one position rather than two.
This isn’t the first time the Broncos drafted a versatile linebacker. Just two years ago, Denver used a fifth-round pick on Justin Hollins out of Oregon. After bouncing Hollins around from outside to inside during his rookie season, Hollins was cut before the start of his second year.
Hollins landed with the Los Angeles Rams shortly after and was played purely at outside backer. Unsurprisingly, he thrived, racking up three sacks as a situational pass rusher. With Browning, the Broncos aren’t going to make the same mistake they made with Hollins by bouncing him around.
After drafting Browning, Fangio couldn’t help but point to his versatility as a potential all-around linebacker. But Fangio also admitted that versatility has hurt Browning in the past.
“Sometimes his versatility has hurt him a little bit in his development,” Fangio added, stating just another reason why it’s so crucial to not tap into his versatility before he’s ready.
One of the biggest differences between inside and outside backer is pass coverage. At inside linebacker, especially in the AFC West, being able to cover tight ends and running backs is paramount.
“In college, when I got with our graduate assistant, who [Ohio State] brought in, I was able to be more of a technician with my coverage,” Browning said about his progression in coverage. “Being precise with where I want to have my eyes and being precise in my step replace and not jumping—staying square and making a man open me up versus opening up right away. Just being more of technician in my coverage.”
The rookie believes his best days of football are ahead of him for many of the reasons he and his head coach pointed to. They key will be not rushing his development.
The versatility that Browning brings is enticing. But, as Fangio and Browning admitted, that same versatility can slow down his development if tapped into too early.
