When the Denver Broncos miraculously landed Baron Browning with the final pick of the third round, it was cause for celebration because of Browning’s rare athletic ceiling and his ability to work on the edge and on the interior of the defense.
However, so far the Broncos are helping Browning get his feet under him by only making him learn one position — inside linebacker — for now.
“I think [being at one position] is a great feeling just because I can focus on that one position and critique every small detail,” Browning told the media Saturday. “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.”
Browning elaborated on how playing multiple positions at Ohio State often made it harder for him to read what was happening and understand his responsibilities. That processing ability might have been the greatest concern surrounding Browning coming out, so if having him play just one position is enough to solve that problem, it bodes very well for Denver.
“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. “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.”
Browning doesn’t want to just be labeled as some athlete though. He wants to make sure he’s one of the most technically refined players out there, who just so happens to be an elite athlete.
“I want to be known more as a technician. I don’t want to be known as a guy who is an athlete. I want to be known as a guy who is a technician. That’s where my focus is,” Browning said.
Browning also reflected on that relationship between athlete and technicician in regard to developing his coverage skills.
“Just from high school, I felt like I was just being an athlete,” Browning said. “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. 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.”
It’s incredibly early in the process, but so far Browning is checking every box imaginable, and that should have Broncos Country very excited.
