Rams selected Northwestern EDGE Earnest Brown IV with the No. 174 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Brown IV (6’4/270) is a former four-star talent who was considered the sixth-best strong side defensive end and the top-rated player from Northwestern’s 2017 recruiting class. Though he didn’t start a single game until his senior season, Brown IV had a strong first five games of his junior year, earning a sparkling 86.6 defensive grade by Pro Football Focus before tearing a pectoral muscle early into the year and ultimately missing the rest of the season. He started all nine games as a senior, posting 32 tackles, 8.5 TFL and a sack while earning honorable mention All-Big Ten recognition. His athletic profile is just average, as his slow-footed 5.01-second 40-yard dash and 4.67 RAS will attest. Brown IV will try to carve out a niche as a situational run-defender similar to Jalyn Holmes with the Rams.
