Brown declares for NFL Draft
OXFORD — A second Ole Miss wide receiver has declared for the 2019 NFL Draft.
Junior wideout A.J. Brown, Ole Miss’ all-time leader in receiving yards with 2,984, made official his decision to declare for the 2019 NFL Draft on Tuesday, tweeting his decision from his personal Twitter account.
“I just want to start off by saying thank you to the Ole Miss family,” Brown said in his tweet. “You have welcomed me with open arms. Ole Miss is a special place and has been since I took my first official visit. During my official visit, I knew that this was the place for me. The past three years I have created memories and friendships that will last a lifetime.”
Brown is coming off an All-SEC junior season where he led the conference with 85 receptions and 1,350 yards. Over three seasons in Oxford, Brown caught 19 touchdown passes, ranking him fifth all time in Ole Miss history. Brown leaves Oxford as the Ole Miss record holder in career receiving yards, most receiving yards in a single season, most receiving yards in a game, most receptions in a season, most receptions in a game and most receiving yards versus an SEC opponent.
A Starkville native, Brown is projected as one of the top wide receiver prospects for the 2019 NFL Draft. Draft projections site Walter Football ranks Brown as the No. 1 receiver in the draft, while ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. ranks Brown as the No. 3 receiver option.
Brown joins fellow underclassman wide receiver DK Metcalf as Ole Miss players who have declared early for the 2019 NFL Draft. Between Brown, Metcalf and senior wideout DaMarkus Lodge, Ole Miss is losing three wide receivers who combined to catch 176 passes for 2,766 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2018.