While playing at Texas A&M, new Rams defensive tackle Bobby Brown III would watch Los Angeles' defensive line.
What did he see?
"Aaron Donald," Brown said with a laugh during a video conference with reporters after he was selected 117th overall in the 2021 NFL Draft.
That wasn't meant as a slight against the rest of L.A.'s defensive line, Brown clarified. Donald has long been one of his favorite players, so he was naturally drawn to paying closer attention to the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year than the rest of the group.
Now, Brown gets a chance to learn from Donald after getting drafted by the Rams in the fourth round Saturday – an opportunity he's excited about.
"I'm going to be a sponge as soon as I get there," Brown said. "As soon as I get there."
Brown knows something about being a disruptive presence himself, having registered 7.5 tackles for loss (out of 22 total tackles) and a team-high 5.5 sacks for the Aggies last year. He was asked by a reporter if there were any aspects of his game that he could compare with Donald style-wise, but Brown made it clear Donald is in a league of his own.
While Brown won't be making comparisons, one thing he will be doing is paying close attention.
"He has a completely different body type and play style than I do, but I will definitely take any advice from him. Any of it," Brown said. "I don't care what it is. He can tell me how to write on a piece of paper and I'll take it."
Brown did, however, succinctly describe his own game.
"Disruptive," he said. "Period. Point-blank."
It's a description Rams defensive line coach and run game coordinator Eric Henderson would appreciate, having worked extensively with a player who personifies it in Donald.
"That's one of my favorite players," Brown said of Donald. "I don't even know what to say. I don't even know how to feel, man. This feels like an out of body experience."
