Cam Brown saw how the NFL was changing when he entered college four years ago. The Penn State linebacker noticed the influence high-powered spread systems had.

NFL teams are employing quick, rangy linebackers to contend with more skilled tight ends who line up split wide and running backs who can catch the ball out of the backfield.

And that’s where Brown thinks he can fit in as he prepares for the 2020 NFL Draft. He feels like he’s the same type of player he was when Penn State signed him out of Bullis (Md.) in 2016, and he expects that can translate into the NFL.

“I’m athletic, I’m rangy, I can get to the ball, and I can run with tight ends and running backs,” Brown said. “I feel like, if anything, my adaption and my body and frame is well-built for these systems of offenses that defenses are going against.”

During the 2020 NFL Combine earlier this year, Brown measured at 6-foot-5, 233 pounds with 34-inch arms. According to Mockdraftable, Brown’s height put him in the 97th percentile of linebackers, while his arm-length was in the 95th percentile. And while his weight put him in only the 21st percentile, Brown boasts a unique frame among the linebackers in this class.

He’s tall, and he’s long. And while he didn’t necessarily test as well as he would have liked in the 40-yard dash at 4.72 seconds (43rd percentile) or vertical jump at 35 1/2 inches (69th), Brown’s broad jump of 123 inches (84th) showed he’s capable of being an explosive athlete.

Brown, who turned 22 last week, had been hoping to improve on those numbers and go through position drills at Penn State’s pro day last month, but the coronavirus pandemic has thrown a wrench into his pre-draft process. He has been doing interviews with teams on FaceTime and Skype.

He said his frame has come up in conversations with teams. He has room to bulk up and add weight, and Brown said teams liked that idea. Brown could also fit into the second level of an NFL defense and use his size to help take away the middle of the field from opposing offenses. In his final two seasons at Penn State, Brown broke up 10 passes.

“I also have the length, the length on defense,” Brown said. “It blocks out windows. It allows you to get to certain plays better than other people can, and honestly, it’s an advantage, especially at linebacker when you’re sitting in the middle of the field, it’s kind of hard for a quarterback to throw over a 6-foot-5 linebacker.”

Brown’s reviews from some scouting services are solid. NFL Media’s grade puts him on the cusp of a “backup/special-teamer” and “developmental traits-based prospect,” and The Draft Network’s scouting report calls Brown “an enticing late rounder who offers high end tools.”

It’s clear the changing nature of the NFL has cleared a path for Brown to find a home in the pros. According to Mockdraftable, Brown’s combine measurements compared favorably to Houston Texans linebacker Zach Cunningham and Arizona Cardinals linebacker De’Vondre Campbell. Cunningham had back-to-back 100-tackle seasons, and Campbell had 129 tackles for the Atlanta Falcons last season.

There’s a home in the NFL for a player with Brown’s skill set.

“I saw the changing in the league going to more spread offenses, more uses of tight ends split out, things like that,” Brown said. “I feel like I saw that going into college, so I feel like honestly, I feel like I’ve adapted well. I feel like I’m the same person I was going to college.”

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