One of the most productive players in college football over the last two seasons, Kentrell Brothers believes he has the instinct and ability to continue his success at the NFL level.
If an NFL team wants a sure-handed, fundamentally sound player manning the middle of their defense, Missouri's Kentrell Brothers believes he can fill the role perfectly.
"I think that my biggest strength is that I'm a for sure tackler, I feel like," Brothers told Redskins.com at the Senior Bowl. "Not too many people slipped through my hands this year, I prided myself in that, I wanted to be the first one to the ball this year and I think I accomplished that.
Brothers also believes that he has many of the same qualities as some of the best inside linebackers in the NFL right now.
"I feel like I'm smart, I'm physical, I'm quicker than they think I am, and I'm instinctually sound as well," Brothers said. "I play off instincts a lot, I watch a lot of film, so I like to think that I know what's coming and when it's coming and stuff like that. But there's always a lot of room for improvement as well."
Brothers was selected as a first-team All-SEC selection in 2015, leading the Football Bowl Series in tackles (152).
In all but one games during his senior season, Brothers posted double-digit tackle totals including 16 in each of the Tigers' first two games.
In total, Brothers would record 357 tackles (23.5 for loss) along with 11 passes defensed five interceptions, 4.5 sacks and four fumbles forced in four collegiate seasons.
"I think it was really important," Brothers said of completing a full college career. "I had a pretty good career at Mizzou, I think I'm like fourth on the all-time tackles list behind a lot of great players, but I think it's really important that I came here because a lot of teams think I lack speed, I lack lateral quickness, lack coverage skills, stuff like that. You know, I
Check out images of linebacker Kentrell Brothers during his collegiate career at Missouri.
think this is a good time to come out here and show them that I can do those things and that they can depend on me to be out there and not make mistakes in coverage and stuff like that."
Brothers likely won't be a first-round pick come April's NFL Draft, but the 6-foot-1, 235 pounder has been as ranked as high as the second round in several mock drafts.
Next week, Brothers will compete in the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis followed by a Pro Day sometime before the first selections are made.
For someone from a small town in Oklahoma, the dream of making it to the NFL has almost been achieved.
"It's crazy, every single team is here, I've talked to a lot of scouts already, and they're going to tell it to me real," Brothers said at the Senior Bowl. "They're going to tell me what I'm good at, what they think I'm weak at, and that's the stuff that I'm going to take to heart so I can get that fixed and hopefully a team will take a chance on me early."
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