Deonte Brown Drafted 193 Overall by the Carolina Panthers

Alabama guard Deonte “Cornbread” Brown was drafted by the Carolina Panthers with the 193rd pick in the 6th round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Brown started 26 games for the Crimson Tide, and he appeared in 48 games in his four years of playing time. He won All-SEC First Team honors for his play during the 2020 Crimson Tide championship run.

Brown is from Decatur, Alabama, and he has been at the University since 2016 when he redshirted. He is a beefy, powerful guard who is extremely effective at creating run lanes.

Brown is 6-foot-4 350 pounds, so there have been questions about his mobility in the guard position. One thing is for sure, he is effective in pass protection as he never gave up a sack in his collegiate career (856 pass plays).

Get our free mobile app

Brown has the potential to be an elite guard in the NFL. Training camp will be beneficial for him, so he can tone up while keeping his brute force. He has blocked for extremely talented skill groups in his time with Alabama, and every offense he has been a part of has been effective. As Najee Harris said, Alabama runs very similar offensive calls to those used in the NFL, so Brown will be able learn quickly and focus on progressing physically.

Brown will fit in nicely with the Panthers as they run the ball a good bit with star running back Christian McCaffrey. They will likely be under the leadership of former Jets quarterback Sam Darnold, who will be looking to prove himself in a different organization. Brown gives the Panthers a chance to be competitive in the NFC South with his consistent pass protection and elite run blocking.

He won’t be too far from home in Carolina, and he will be playing in Atlanta and New Orleans every year which will keep him close to his home state. Brown joins DeAndrew White and Brandon Greene as former Crimson Tide players on the Panthers.

Brown waited his turn at Alabama and never had any off the field issues. He worked well under the Crimson Tide culture, which has proven to be effective at the next level. He will likely have to wait his turn in Carolina, but when his time comes, Cornbread will be ready to bring the pain in the trenches.