2023 NFL Draft: Eagles select Illinois safety Sydney Brown
Eagles select Illinois safety Sydney Brown originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
The Philadelphia Eagles on Friday night drafted safety Sydney Brown from Illinois with their second of two third-round picks, at No. 66 overall.
Brown, 23, was a rare five-year starter for the Illini so he brings plenty of experience with him to Philadelphia. And his play style might very well make him a fan favorite with the Eagles.
The Eagles drafted Brown one pick after they took Alabama offensive lineman Tyler Steen at 3-65.
The Eagles initial third-round pick was No. 94 but the Eagles ended up with No. 66 because the Cardinals tampered with former defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon during a period where contact was not permitted. The Eagles and Cardinals swapped third-round picks and the Cardinals also received the Eagles’ fifth-round pick in 2024.
In his five years at Illinois, Brown (5-10, 211 pounds) totaled 320 tackles, 10 TFLs and 10 interceptions, including 6 in 2022. He also had 13 pass breakups in 2022 and 26 in his college career. In addition to his performance on defense, Brown also played special teams, so he figures to have a role there early for the Eagles as well.
There’s a lot to like about Brown’s game, especially his physicality. At Illinois, Brown was known for his violent play style on the back end. In addition to that physicality, Brown also has ball skills.
At the Combine, Brown had a very impressive performance, putting himself above the 90th percentile in several key metrics.
And even before he went to the Combine and had a good performance, Brown stood out at the Senior Bowl.
“Yeah, well, I mean, I was just doing what I was supposed to do at the Senior Bowl,” Brown said at the Combine.I don't expect anything less out of myself, so that was just the expectation that I set. But, yeah, just kind of building on that, coming out here, having fun and enjoying the experience.”
The Eagles had a clear need at the safety position. Both of their starters from the 2022 season left in free agency. Marcus Epps joined the Raiders as a free agent and C.J. Gardner-Johnson joined the Lions. That left the Birds pretty light. Their top returning safeties were Reed Blankenship and K’Von Wallace.
Even after adding veterans Terrell Edmunds and Justin Evans on low-risk one-year deals, this was still a need. Given his experience, Brown should push for playing time very early in his NFL career.
Here’s what NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein wrote about Brown during the pre-draft process:
“A physical safety who is limited by a lack of fluidity in space. Brown has straight-line speed and is very effective mapping his transit to the ball-carrier near the line of scrimmage. However, his missed tackles are concerning considering the position he plays. He competes hard in man coverage, using everything at his disposal to prevent tight ends from making plays, but above average pass-catchers could be too much for him to handle as a pro. Brown will need to prove he can win in the box and shine on special teams to stick around in the league.”
Brown was a captain at Illinois in the 2022 season and that clearly meant something to him.
“I’m a guy that leads by action for sure,” Brown said at the Combine. “And I'm going to set the standard each and every day and face complacency in that. So making sure that I'm on my p's and q's before I get on anyone else. And I think that's an asset at the next level.”
Brown was born and raised in London, Ontario, but eventually transferred to St. Stephens Episcopal High School in Florida for two years. His twin brother, Chase Brown, was a star running back at Illinois.
This is the highest the Eagles have drafted a safety since they took Jaiquawn Jarrett at No. 54 in the 2011 draft. Brown is also the first Illinois player drafted by the Eagles since Mike Bellamy in the second round back in 1990. Overall, Brown is the 10th Illinois player drafted by the Eagles.
