Miami Dolphins Bonus Draft Pick: Les Brown

How many of you wanted our beloved Miami Dolphins to draft a tight end in the 2012 draft? A basketball cross-over like Antonio Gates, Tony Gonzalez, or former University of Miami stand-out Jimmy Graham. Sound good? We have to keep up with the New England Patriots, right?

Well, let me tell you the story of Les Brown.

Les Brown was an All-State WR at Highland High School in Salt Lake City, Utah, the same school that produced the Baltimore Ravens’ Haloti Ngata. Brown graduated in 2006 and, despite receiving multiple football scholarship offers from schools such as Oregon, BYU, Washington State, and Colorado State, Brown chose to play basketball at a local NAIA school, Westminster College.

Brown chose Westminster because he wanted to be near his sick mother. He was an Academic All-American but had an unremarkable basketball career. Brown went on to become an accountant.

His younger brothers, Trevor and Braden, play football at BYU. Braden insisted that Brown had NFL talent and pushed his brother to Hawaii in December 2011, where he trained with NFL Combine Trainer Chad Ikei. There he outshined other top NFL prospects.

On March 29, 2012, BYU held its pro day and because of his siblings, Brown was invited to showcase his talents. Unofficial records claim 17 NFL franchises, not including Miami, were present on this day. Brown came in at 6’4″, 238, and was the focus of the event after he ran a 4.43 forty. No TE prospect in the NFL Combine was this fast, the closest being James Hanna of Oklahoma, who ran a 4.49. Brown also displayed a 39-inch vertical, another feat that was unmatched at the NFL combine by a tight end. As icing on the cake, Brown showed good hands and teams quickly pounced on him.

The Chiefs, Jaguars, Raiders, Patriots, and Jets interviewed him immediately. Rumors started swirling about how high he would go in the upcoming NFL draft.

Brown’s agent, Evan Brennan, then determined that he was not eligible for the draft and some how, some way, the Dolphins signed him to a three-year deal.

We stole him from our AFC East rivals and for that reason and his potential, he is only 24, I give him a 5th round grade. Happy Bonus Draft Pick Day, PhinPhanatics!

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