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Earnest Brown IV becomes first Northwestern DE to be drafted since 2017

Paul Harvey

By Paul Harvey

Published:

Northwestern defensive end Earnest Brown IV is off the board!

At pick No. 174 in the draft, the Los Angeles Rams grabbed Brown in the fifth round. Brown was a four-year player for the Wildcats, finishing second on the team with 8.5 TFL during the 2020 season.

The Rams were able to add a seventh-round pick by moving back four spots in the round via a trade with the Houston Texans. But even with moving back, Los Angeles still netted their target in Brown.

Brown becomes the third Northwestern player taken in the 2021 NFL Draft, following the first-round selections of offensive lineman Rashawn Slater and cornerback Greg Newsome II. That duo created history by becoming the first two Northwestern players taken in the first round of the same draft.

Brown finishes his career with 71 total tackles, including 18.5 for loss and seven sacks. He becomes Northwestern’s first defensive end drafted since Ifeadi Odenigbo was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the seventh round of the 2017 NFL Draft.

Paul Harvey

Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.